ForgetMeNot
by Youkai no Yume
Summary: Sesshomaru's always hated humans. Kagome's always thought he was emotionless. But now that he's wounded and under Kagome's care, will his opinion change? Can Kagome see through his emotionless mask? SessKag!
1. I Didn't Ask For Your Help

**[A/N]**

This is Youkai Yume, and currently, due to 's crazy attitude and restrictions, I was kicked off, and am now posting under this pen name until further notice. Also, CF, my muse, will no longer be with me on author notes on , because they have gone ballistic on that rule too. Even though it affects the story in no way. I hate the administration. Truly I do for becoming so totalitarian.

Anyways, for new readers, you can find these fics, full, complete version on my profile. (look for the links) CF will continue to be with me, but only on the other sites, and only the clean, edited version of my stories will be posted here. Meaning no sexual situations, the farthest I'll go is lime. Thank you and enjoy.

_BTW, this was my fist fanfic, started roughly a year ago, finished with 34 chapters on the other sites, and won four fanfic awards on **A Single Spark**._

**[Disclaimer]: **Not mine.

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**Forget-Me-Not  
By: Youkai Yume**

  
  
**Chapter One: I Didn't Ask For Your Help**

  
  
Sesshomaru was becoming quite irritated. The stubborn Bear youkai refused to give up, even though death was inevitable. It swung it's huge paws at him, which he easily dodged. Sesshomaru cracked his knuckles, before driving his poison dripping claws into the bear youkai's stomach. It roared painfully into the night, and fell limply to the forest floor. Sesshomaru let out a pleased chuckle. Yes, his thirst for vengaence was quenched, now that he disposed of the youkai that dared to attack Rin.  
  
"Impudent beast," he spat before turning his heels to leave. Before he could gloat over his victory, he felt a sharp pain pierce his side. Sesshomaru fell to his knees as crimson blood spilled forth from his wound. He lifted his hand and touched the wound, then examined his bloodstained fingers, as if acknowledging that it was really his.  
  
He turned to face the bear youkai, who surprisingly wasn't as dead as he thought. It staggered, barely able to stand on its own feet, before gaining all of its composure again.  
  
"You'll regret that," Sesshomaru ran at full speed towards it, and attempted to slice it's body in half. To his surprise, the bear youkai was able to dodge it, and took another swipe at him. He dodged to the side, and was about to run past it for a side attack when a faint glitter caught his eye. 'Jewel shards!' he noticed three embedded on its back. 'No wonder it can last so long, no matter, it will be dead soon enough.'  
  
It was now that the jewel shards decided to take full effect, as Sesshomaru undoubtedly noticed it was becoming ten times faster! Or rather, he was becoming slower. It wasn't until then that he realized he had suffered a great blood loss, even for a youkai.  
  
"Damnit!" he cursed under his breath.

* * *

"Inuyasha! Three shards straight ahead!"  
  
"I'm all over it!" Inuyasha sped up, with Kagome clinging to the back of his fire rat kimono tightly. The others were trailing behind on Kirara's back. Vibrant colors of green passed as the forest scenary flew around them. Kagome tightened her grip on Inuyasha. Somehow, she sensed not one, but two very strong youkai in the direction of the shards.  
  
'I hope this won't be too hard.' They had stopped in a small clearing, Kagome was utterly shocked at the scene that met her eyes. A huge Bear youkai was towering over a mortally wounded Sesshomaru. Inuyasha noticed too, because in a blink of an eye, his Tetsusaiga was drawn and poised for attack.  
  
"Sesshomaru!"  
  
The taiyoukai's head snapped up at the sound of the voice. He growled at the sight of his hanyou half-brother. 'Great, just what I need.' He was about to avert his attack on Inuyasha before he heard a honey sweet voice reach his ears.  
  
"Inuyasha! The shards are on the bear youkai's back!" Kagome yelled. Inuyasha hesitated turning his back on his brother for a second before going after the youkai. He swung the Tetsusaiga at the bear youkai's back, and destroyed with a single blow. The shards fell onto the ground, which Kagome picked up and purified with her touch.  
  
He turned his attention back to Sesshomaru, a victorious gleam in his eye. Sesshomaru growled, cursing himself for being in such a weakened state in front his half-brother. He could barely stand, and his vision was beginning to look fuzzy. 'No! I will NOT die at HIS hands!'  
  
"Well, well, this seems to be my lucky day," Inuyasha smirked, "I get to kill two birds with one stone!" he raised the sword, ready to strike when-  
  
"SIT, BOY!" Thump.  
  
"BITCH! WHAT'D YOU DO THAT FOR?!" he cursed into the dirt.  
  
Kagome paused, why DID she stop him? Sesshomaru was one of their greatest enemies, and if he was killed, there would be one less problem, right? She glanced over at the wounded demon lord. Her heart melted. 'Because it's wrong to take advantage of him when he's so hurt.if it were anyone else, I'd still help them, and Sesshomaru's no exception.'  
  
"Because he's hurt! And we're gonna help him!" She said, her tone final.  
  
"Are you crazy?! This is SESSHOMARU! He's tried to kill you before, or have you forgotten, hey listen to me when I'm talking to you wench!"  
  
"Inuyasha?" She smiled sweetly at him. 'Uh Oh,' he knew what was coming next.  
  
"Sit." Thump.  
  
Kagome walked calmly around Inuyasha's subdued form and stood before Sesshomaru. He let out a feral growl that said 'If you come any closer, I'll kill you!' She ignored it though, and bent down at his weakened form. To see him like this, it kind of scared her and weirded her out at the same time.  
  
"I didn't ask for your help, wench!" he spat. She gazed at him, her blue eyes questioning.  
  
"I know, but I wanted to anyway," She answered. With that, Sesshomaru gave into his exhaustion, and steadily let his eyelids droop. Before giving into slumber completely, he caught a glimpse of what was perhaps concern, flicker across the miko's face.

* * *

"Kagome, are you sure it's safe?" Sango looked cautiously at the fallen Western Lord before fixing her gaze back on Kagome. It just didn't make sense to her. Sure, Kagome was a kind and warm-hearted person, but this WAS Sesshomaru we're talking about here.  
  
"No." She said truthfully, while continuing to bandage Sesshomaru's wounds. "But I just couldn't leave him there.besides, I don't think it's right for Inuyasha to slay his own brother, even if he is a bloodthirsty killer."  
  
"You're right, I know you're not that kind of person," Shippo pounced in between the conversing girls and puffed out his chest.  
  
"Don't worry Kagome! If anything happens, I'll protect you!" Kagome only giggled at his little boast.  
  
"Of course you will! You're my hero Shippo-chan!" Shippo's smile grew wider upon hearing this, and he happily jumped into Kagome's lap.  
  
The fire crackled merrily, casting shadows on all of the members sitting around it. Inuyasha was sitting on top of a tree, as usual, deep in thought. He occasionally threw heated glances at Kagome and his still passed out half-brother. Only one thought resounded in his head. 'Why?' He knew Kagome was known for her kindness, it's one of the things that he adored about her, but he knew that even she must have her limits.  
  
"Inuyasha?" came Kagome's voice. He grunted, showing that he was listening. "Thank you, for understanding."  
  
"Feh! Just don't get used to it! Next thing I know, you might want to invite Naraku over for tea!"  
  
"I might just do that," Inuyasha nearly fell out his tree at her response, and glared daggers at her when she went into a fit of giggles. But his face slowly softened after she stopped and gave him a warm-hearted smile. 'It's all worth it, just to see her smile.'  
  
Kagome turned her attention back to the demon lord when he began to stir. 'I have to admit, he looks like and angel when he's not trying to kill people, or yelling, 'Die Inuyasha!''  
  
She gently brushed his silver bangs out of his eyes, but pulled back her hand almost instantly as if she touched fire when she found two golden orbs staring curiously at her. They seemed to stay like that for hours, staring at her until Kagome decided to break the silence.  
  
"Feeling better?" he didn't respond, but instead closed his eyes and inhaled her scent. She smelled of sakura blossoms and jasmine, and there was a hint of nervousness in her scent, but no fear. For some reason, he was glad that she wasn't afraid of him. All in all, she smelled rather pleasant for a human.  
  
As soon as he thought this, he mentally slapped himself. 'All humans are filthy, and this one,' he glanced at her emotionlessly, 'is no different.' But still, he was rather curious of her actions. He had expected her to let Inuyasha kill him, but instead she saved him. He just had to find out why.  
  
"Why did you save me?" Kagome sighed in relief. She half expected him to lash out at her.  
  
"I don't know.but do you always need a reason to help someone?" She answered shyly. Sesshomaru thought over what she said.  
  
"Yes, for you humans, it does. There is always something that you want in return for a certain deed. If you are looking for a reward, you are sadly mistaken."  
  
Kagome was taken back at his reply. She felt tiny pricks of anger rising in her chest. Sesshomaru noticed her sudden shift in moods also.  
  
"Well sorry! If you wanted to die so much than why don't you say so next time?" Kagome crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, directing her gaze elsewhere. Sesshomaru was slightly surprised at her response, she was brave for a human. Or rather, stupid. He made a move to sit up, but quickly regretted doing so, as a sharp pain went through his side. 'That's right, I'm injured.'  
  
His hand flew up to touch the wound, but he was surprised to find it already bandaged. He looked over to the miko, 'She did this.' Although he would never admit it, he was grateful, and knew that if anyone deserved respect, it was her.  
  
"Tell me, what is your name?" He asked. Kagome was needless to say shocked. She looked into his indifferent face, and noticed that his eyes were a bit softer than before. Or maybe it was just her imagination.  
  
"Kagome. My name is Kagome Higurashi."  
  
"Kagome." her name rolled of his tongue, "It suits you."  
  
Kagome could only blush at the comment.  
  
"Thank You, Sesshomaru-sama."  
  
**End Chapter**

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Please Read and Review! No flames please 


	2. Gomen

[A/N]

I apologize if any of the characters seem OOC. Thanks for all of your reviews!

[Disclaimer]: Think about it pplz, if I owned Inuyasha, would I be here writing fanfiction? Key word FAN! I thought not, I'd be out making episodes to my liking! I did wish I owned Sesshomaru though, (sigh) wishful thinking.I'll shut up now.

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Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

Chapter 2: Gomen

Inuyasha resisted the urge to pull out Tetsusaiga and tear his brother to pieces. 'I bet Sesshomaru wouldn't doubt killing us for an instant! I should rip him apart for all the things he did!' Without his knowing it, his hand had grasped Tetsusaiga's hilt, as if following his thoughts. He gently eased his hand down. 'No. I promised Kagome.'  
  
That was true, he had promised her that he wouldn't do anything rash while Sesshomaru was there. Although, he couldn't guarantee the same could be said for his brother.  
  
He glanced down from his tree at Kagome, who was making some ramen. His stomach ached terribly. Hey, hanyous have to eat too! He was about to tell Kagome to speed it up, but stopped when he saw her return to Sesshomaru's side. Inuyasha could feel a tiny prick of jealousy beginning to rise from his chest.

* * *

Sesshomaru observed the group with interest. The demon exterminator and monk were deep in converstation, until he made a sudden move to grope her, and the sound of a boomerang hitting human skull echoed into the night.  
  
Inuyasha was sitting in a tree. He knew that he was brooding at the moment, and relished at the thought, despite that he himself didn't like being in Inuyasha's presence either.  
  
In the corner, he eyed the little kitsune playing with a small fire-cat youkai. He gave Sesshomaru nervous looks now and then, but most of the time tried to occupy himself with something else. From his observation, he concluded that the kitsune considered Kagome to be his surrogate mother.  
  
Kagome. She seemed to hold most of his interest. He focused his gaze upon her as she prepared dinner for her friends. He still couldn't figure out for the life of him why she had decided to save him.  
  
There were many things that he found himself curious about her, such as her origin. No one wore the type of kimono that she wore. He must admit that it was inappropriate, the fabric barely covering herself. Not that he was complaining, as it gave him a fairly good view of her finely shaped legs.  
  
Sesshomaru was snapped out of his slightly wandering thoughts when he heard footsteps drawing near. Kagome crouched near him, and placed a bowl of what seemed to be noodles beside him.  
  
"I don't know if you eat human food, but please, have some ramen," she offered. He eyed the bowl cautiously, sniffing it to check if there was any poison. There wasn't any. Despite this, he was about to tell her that he didn't consume human food, but stopped upon seeing her hopeful face.  
  
He sighed. 'Rin must be making me soft.' With that final thought, Sesshomaru took the chopstick clamped noodles to his lips and began to chew. It seemed that Kagome was holding her breath the entire time, as if waiting for his approval.  
  
Sesshomaru, meanwhile, was mildly surprised. These were good! 'Ramen, was it called?' He nodded at her before taking another chopstickful into his mouth.  
  
'Phew! I half expected him to throw the bowl at me!' Kagome sighed in relief, and settled down with her own ramen bowl next to him.  
  
Needless to say, he was shocked that she didn't find dining next to a taiyoukai to be intimidating. With her being so near, he could smell her scent a lot stronger than before. 'No, I was wrong. She _does_ smell nice.' Sesshomaru found himself engrossed in her scent, she smelled better than the ramen!  
  
But something else was bothering him.  
  
"Why are you so trusting, you know that even though I'm injured, I can still kill you all and run off with the Tetsusaiga."  
  
Kagome smiled warmly at him, and sipped a bit of her soup.  
  
"Because if you wanted to, you already would have!" Sesshomaru thought over her answer. She was a clever one. And surprisingly enough, he wasn't the least bit interested in the Tetsusaiga at the moment.

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After finishing their meal, Sesshomaru laid back into the futon, which Kagome called a sleeping bag. But before his head hit the pillow, Kagome stopped him. He grunted in annoyance.  
  
"What do you want?" he snapped.  
  
"I have to change your bandages, you don't want to get an infection, do you?" Sesshomaru sighed irritably before sitting up for the miko to do the said task. He let the top part of his kimono fall off, exposing his bare chest to her. He inwardly smirked when he heard her gasp slightly.  
  
'God! He's firmly built! I wonder if you could bounce a quarter off of it.' Kagome mentally shook herself. 'Bad Kagome, Bad! Stay on task!'  
  
She moved to undo his bloodstained bandages, and was rather pleased when she found him to be healing quite nicely. 'Well, duh, he's a youkai!' Kagome picked up a bottle of rubbing alcohol to clean out the wound, and paused a moment to stare into Sesshomaru's eyes. He noticed her hesitation  
  
"What seems to be the problem?" She shifted from her spot slightly.  
  
"This will sting a little," Sesshomaru scoffed. Did she really think that he, Sesshomaru, couldn't stand a little pain?  
  
"Do not waste your concern, continue." Kagome just shrugged, and dabbed the alcohol drenched cotton ball onto his wound. Sesshomaru hissed. 'She wasn't kidding!'  
  
"Gomen," she apologized before setting the bottle down. He continued to stare at her. 'She's sorry?' She was even more intriguing than he originally thought. Kagome had her bangs covering her face as she began on rewrapping the wound.  
  
'Her hair looks so soft, I wonder it's as silky as it looks.' He blinked when he saw that his hand had inched closer to her midnight tresses to test that hypothesis. Just as quickly, he settled his hand by his side.  
  
Kagome frowned at his sudden discomfort. Did she hurt him? She continued to bandage him, being extra careful not to inflict any pain. She blushed when her fingers brushed against his skin, but tried to ignore the burning sensation.  
  
Sesshomaru however, could not. He fought a rising groan when he felt her feather-like touch, and for some reason, wanted more of the skin contact. 'She's so warm,' he thought, and closed his eyes, relishing the tingling sensation that came with each brush of her delicate fingers.  
  
He was almost disappointed when she had finished. Immediately missing her touch, his eyes snapped open, and he stared almost dazed in a dazed state into her face. She wasn't looking at him however, and he followed her gaze over to his left arm. Or rather, the stub that signified where his left arm used to be.  
  
Sesshomaru mentally cursed Inuyasha. 'She must be appalled.' He looked quickly up to her, and was shocked to find that what he saw in her eyes wasn't disgust, but rather, sympathy. He was even further surprised when she brought her hand up to tenderly caress the stub.  
  
"Gomen for this too." Kagome's blue-gray eyes met his golden ones for a brief moment before she removed her comforting hand to pull up the kimono.

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Inuyasha's little prick of jealousy grew to be a full-fledged thorn. Kagome was caressing Sesshomaru's arm. And why was she being so tender with him anyway?! He growled deeply as he caught a glimpse of Sesshomaru. For a moment, it looked like he was content.  
  
'That bastard! He enjoys it too! I'm the only one that Kagome ever touches like that!' (A.N. not like THAT ya perverts!) The thought of slicing Sesshomaru in half resurfaced into his mind again. He stood from his perch, eyes green with envy and hand on Tetsusaiga.  
  
"Good night Inuyasha!" Came Kagome's sweet voice. He was quickly thrown from his thoughts of vengeance. 'No, Kagome would hate me.I just can't live with the thought of her hating me."  
  
He sat down again, and laid his head against the tree. Maybe tomorrow will be better.  
  
**End Chapter**

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**[A/N]**

Thanks for your support. Please read and review. No flames please.


	3. Who's The Pretty Lady?

[A/N]

I apologize for the Inu/Kag interaction. But afterall, Kagome DID love him first. Thanks for your reviews.  
  
**[Disclaimer]:** Well, you know.

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Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

  
  
**Chapter 3: Who's The Pretty Lady?**

  
  
Rays of the morning sun began to burn through his eyelids. He tried to roll onto his side to block it out, but to no avail. Sesshomaru hesitantly opened his eyes to see a sleeping Kagome propped up against a tree, facing him. She had a blanket drawn up to her chin, and her head hung limply, her hair falling over her shoulders. The morning rays illuminated her form giving him the impression that she was an angel.  
  
The thought was shaken immediately from him. 'Humans do not possess beauty,' he reminded himself. But every time that he looked at her, he found himself conflicting with that belief.  
  
Ridding himself of such thoughts, he slowly sat up, careful to not reopen the wound. Sesshomaru glanced around the camp, and found that everyone else was still sleeping. Though he noticed that Inuyasha's ears were twitching slightly for any sign of movement. He could tell it was mainly focused on him, and he also knew that Inuyasha was awake, but chose to keep his own eyes closed.  
  
Deciding to ignore his hanyou half-brother at the moment, he turned his attention back to the slumbering miko. 'I never did get to see if her hair was as silky as it looked.' As if his hand had a mind of its own, he found himself reaching out to touch the cascading ebony locks. 'It feels even better,' he thought idly to himself.  
  
Sesshomaru tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and quickly pulled away when she showed signs of waking. Kagome slowly opened her eyes, revealing breathtakingly beautiful blue orbs. She looked dazed for about a moment before her blurry vision became clear, and the silver blob in front of her became Sesshomaru.  
  
"Ohayo, Sesshomaru-sama," she smiled warmly at him, and he nodded in response. Kagome tried to get up, but found that her back ached terribly. "Ow, memo to self, never sleep sitting up against a tree again." Sesshomaru stared at her emotionlessly. He could have told her that, honestly, were humans that unlikely to use their common sense?  
  
"Tell me, do you always sleep like that?"  
  
"Oh, no! Just that one time, I stayed up all night watching over you, not that you need to be watched over!" She added quickly, "It's just that well, with you being all hurt and whatnot . . . and I'll shut up now . . ." Kagome fixed her attention to her hands, hoping that Sesshomaru didn't get the impression that she thought he was weak.  
  
Sesshomaru continued to stare at her. Although his face remained indifferent, utter shock was coursing through him. 'She stayed up all night, just for me? But why?' Yet another question to add to the list of his frustration.  
  
Lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Kagome get up. He was brought back to reality when her hand lightly touched his shoulder.  
  
"I'm going to have to check your wounds," She said shyly, as if almost afraid to ask. He grunted in annoyance, and undid his upper kimono. Kagome unwrapped the slightly stained bandages, and was glad to see that the wound was halfway done healing. She was also pretty sure that it wouldn't leave a scar either, which would be a shame if it did, seeing as he had such perfect skin.  
  
She blushed at the thought. Again, 'Bad, Kagome, Bad! Stay on task!' By the time she was done cleaning the wound and rewrapping it, everyone else had already woken up. Their grumbling stomachs indicated that they were all hungry, Inuyasha's being the loudest.  
  
"Ohayo everyone!"  
  
"Ohayo Kagome-chan." She moved away form Sesshomaru, and rummaged through her bag to find something for breakfast. He watched in a bored manner as they went about their tasks to prepare the morning meal. Everyone was pitching in except Inuyasha, who continued to watch his brother through narrowed eyes.  
  
Sesshomaru returned the gaze, with equal hatred.  
  
"What're you waiting for Sesshomaru?" Inuyasha spat out his name bitterly, "Biding your time? Attack us when we least expect it?" Sesshomaru scoffed.  
  
"My, aren't you paranoid, little brother." Inuyasha growled, "I am not so quick as to, how you say, 'Bite the hand that feeds me.' I do have honor, unlike you."  
  
"Honor my ass!" Inuyasha's temper flared, and he was about to give into his urge last night of spilling Sesshomaru's blood right then and there. Sesshomaru saw this too, for he went into a defensive stance.  
  
Luckily, Kagome saw what was happening, and stepped in between them.  
  
"Stop it you two! While we're all here we're allies!" She threw an angry glance over at Inuyasha, "And you, you promised me, Inuyasha!"  
  
His ears drooped, and flattened against his head in an apologetic manner. Her anger softened. She could never stay mad at him, and it wasn't entirely his fault. Afterall, she knew that he and his brother had never seen eye-to- eye.  
  
"He provoked me," He muttered softly. Kagome turned to Sesshomaru.  
  
"I want you to promise me too! Promise me you won't cause any trouble while you're here!" He looked at her, slightly amused at her request.  
  
"Do you think that you can just tell me what to do? I, Sesshomaru, take orders from no one," He felt her anger rise again, and it excited him. It showed in her scent too, and he found it to be more addicting when tainted with her anger. Kagome's lips began to part slightly, ready to give him a piece of her mind when the sound of a rustling bush caught her attention.  
  
Everyone turned to the said bush, and continued to stare at it's continuing movements. Suddenly, a red blur launched itself from the bush, and clung tightly to Sesshomaru's leg.  
  
The blur turned out to be a little girl about the tender age of seven.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama!" She squealed, "Rin was so worried when Sesshomaru-sama didn't come back! Jaken-sama said that Sesshomaru-sama left because Rin smelled bad! Is that true?" Sesshomaru patted the girl's head, much to everyone's surprise, and gently pried her off of his leg.  
  
"No Rin, it's not. As for not returning, I ran into," he mulled over the next word, "complications." He looked down at Rin. "Where is Jaken?"  
  
As if on cue, the green toad emerged from the bush, out of breath and looking extremely exhausted.  
  
"Forgive (pant) this Jaken! I tried (pant) to make her stay (wheeze) like you wanted to, but she wouldn't listen!" After finishing that sentence, he collapsed onto the forest floor, passed out from his exhaustion.  
  
Kagome watched the scene with interest. That little girl, Sesshomaru treated her as if she was his own daughter! And she's a human child no less! She approached the two cautiously, and stopped when the girl turned to stare at her with adorable brown eyes.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama, who's the pretty lady?" Sesshomaru turned around to the miko. He had forgotten all about her for a moment. Kagome smiled warmly at the little girl.  
  
"Hello, my name is Kagome!"  
  
"Hi Kagome! Rin's name is Rin!" She giggled at the child's improper use of language, it was so cute!  
  
"Nice to meet you! Would you like to stay for breakfast?" Rin's face broke out into a huge grin. But she turned to Sesshomaru, eyes pleading for permission. He nodded, and Rin squealed in delight.  
  
"Yay! Rin gets to eat with Kagome-neesan!" Sesshomaru turned his gaze from his ward to Kagome. He sighed.  
  
"Well, now that Rin is here, and I don't want her to see such violence, I suppose I will have to agree to the truce afterall," Kagome smiled from ear- to-ear at him, seeing that there was more than just the emotionless mask to the demon lord afterall.  
  
**End Chapter **

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[A/N]

Please Read and Review! No flames. And for all of my readers, again, please hang in there.


	4. Do You Regret?

[A/N]

Thanks for the reviews, again I apologize beforehand for the OOCness.

**[Disclaimer]:** Yeah, I own Inuyasha, (lawyers come out with guns) When pigs fly. . . (Pig flies overhead) Well, what do ya know, Inuyasha belongs to me! o (Lawyers shoots pig down) Damn. Well, it was nice for about 3 seconds. -.-;

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**Forget-Me-Not  
By: Youkai Yume  
  
Chapter 4: Do You Regret?**

  
  
Breakfast was finished hastily, as Rin ran off to play with Shippo and Kirara. It was the first time that she got to play with someone around her age, and it was now that she took full advantage of the opportunity. Sure, she played plenty with Jaken, but he wasn't exactly the most willing or fun playmate out there.  
  
Sesshomaru watched as the children played in a nearby field that was close to camp. Rin of course was picking flowers, weeds, and any other kind of vegetation growing within the area.  
  
He breathed in the brisk morning air, and his nose picked up the scent of sakura blossoms and jasmine. He slightly turned his head, and sure enough, by his side was Kagome.  
  
"Do you mind if I join you?" He closed his eyes and didn't respond. Kagome took that as a 'Yes' and sat down beside the taiyoukai. After a few minutes of watching the little girl with keen interest, she turned to look at Sesshomaru.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama, how did you come to have Rin?" She just had to know. 'I mean, it kinda defies the laws of nature for Sesshomaru to care for a HUMAN child. It's just so illogical.'  
  
"Why do you wish to know? It's none of your business." He snapped at her.  
  
"Um. . . just because I'm curious?"  
  
"Humans, someday your curiosity will be your undoing."  
  
"I'm willing to take that risk," she insisted.  
  
He thought over it for a while. Although Rin started out as an experiment for the Tenseiga, she slowly began to grow on him, and gave a little light to his life. She was an annoyance at times, and he found many times to be debating whether or not to just leave her at some village for the humans to care for.  
  
But every time he tried to do so, he found that he couldn't, and instead decided to care and protect her, like a father would a daughter. It was somewhat fulfilling in a way, and although he'd never admit it, he enjoyed the child's companionship. Coming out of his thoughts, he decided to answer Kagome.  
  
"Do you remember the battle that took place between Inuyasha and myself when he discovered the Wind-Scar?" Kagome nodded. "Well, after he struck me, I was transported to a clearing near a village where Rin lived. She found me injured, and tried to care for me by bringing food and water.  
  
"I had noticed bruises on her body, and knew that the villagers were abusing her. I did not care much though, and left as soon as I was able. However, as soon as I departed, I smelled her blood along with the scent of hungry wolves, and decided to investigate. When I had arrived, she was already dead, slaughtered by a wolf youkai pack."  
  
Kagome nodded, her attention fully on him. The story was interesting, and when he came to the part about the wolves, her mind wandered slightly to Koga for an instant. 'Could it have been. . . ?' She shook away her thoughts when Sesshomaru continued with the story.  
  
"I decided to test the Tenseiga and brought Rin back to life. It was only an experiment, nothing more. But she followed me, much to Jaken's annoyance, and has stayed with me ever since." When he was finished, Kagome was left with nothing but surprise. 'Wow,' was all she could think about.  
  
He recalled the memory perfectly. Rin's frightened face upon first meeting him, and her futile efforts to heal the demon lord. Sesshomaru idly compared the similarities to his fist encounter with Rin and the recent event of Kagome's saving his life. The only difference was that for some reason, he was more willing to accept Kagome's help than he was for Rin. Maybe it was because at the time, he was less trusting of humans, or maybe it's. . . something else.  
  
After several moments of silence, Kagome decided to break it.  
  
"Thank you, for telling me. I have only one more question to ask," She looked up at him. Sesshomaru looked slightly tired, but not annoyed with her. Although he didn't say anything, she knew that if he were, he would say 'What now, wench?' She inhaled deeply and continued. "Do you regret what you did? Saving Rin, I mean."  
  
Sesshomaru tore his gaze from Kagome to Rin, who was now chasing Jaken around the field with Shippo trailing behind, yelling,  
  
"Jaken-sama! Come back and show Shippo-chan how many worms Jaken-sama can eat!"  
  
He turned from the amusing scene to once again face Kagome.  
  
"Do you regret saving me?" Kagome's eyes dropped to her lap.  
  
"I'm not sure," she admitted. She heard him scoff in annoyance at her response. 'Humans,' he thought, 'always so insecure. They are truly imperfect beings.' Sesshomaru watched her from the corner of his eye as she began to fiddle with the grass before standing up from her spot. Kagome knew that he didn't want to discuss the matter any further, so there was no point pushing him. She brushed off any clinging dirt and grass from her outfit, and ran over to join the children, who were now shoving worms down the poor toad's throat.

* * *

Inuyasha watched Kagome in a nearby tree. His blood was boiling from the duel that he nearly had with Sesshomaru. 'Why is he still here? He looks well enough to leave on his own!' What made him even more angry, was the fact that Kagome was being all friendly with him. As if they had always been friends, and always shared conversations such as this.  
  
'No, Sesshomaru must be up to something. He's after Tetsusaiga like he always is! What angle is he playing at?' He began to brainstorm, and slowly put together pieces in his head. When he came to a plausible conclusion, he landed onto the forest floor, heading towards Kagome.  
  
On his way, he passed Sesshomaru, and threw a dirty look over at him. Sesshomaru glared back, and watched him as he proceeded over to where Kagome was being brutally tickled by Rin and Shippo. When her breathing calmed, and her laughter died out, she opened her eyes to see Inuyasha towering over her.  
  
"Kagome, can I talk to you?" She nodded, but didn't move from the spot. The children looked up at him expectantly. "Alone?" he added. Shippo and Rin sighed and ran off to pick some more flowers, and maybe torture Jaken some more.  
  
Inuyasha stretched out a hand for Kagome, which she gladly took, and helped her up.  
  
"What is it?" She asked.  
  
"Not here," he looked over to Sesshomaru who was still continuing to watch them. Inuyasha knew that his brother could hear everything from there. He quickly picked up Kagome bridal style and took off.  
  
Kagome was utterly confused, but stayed quiet until they landed by a small stream not far from where their camp was. He put Kagome down, and turned her to face him. She looked confusedly into his amber eyes, 'Almost like Sesshomaru's eyes,' she thought dazedly.  
  
"This must be important if you brought me all the way out here." She noticed him shift uncomfortably.  
  
"It's about Sesshomaru," 'Oh Boy, here it comes.'  
  
"What about him?" Inuyasha looked at her sharply.  
  
"What do you mean, 'What about him?' Don't tell me you buy that whole 'I agree to a truce,' thing! He's up to something, and I wanna know what!" Kagome narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"Inuyasha, why can't you just trust him for once?"  
  
"EXCUSE ME?! I don't trust anyone, ESPECIALLY Sesshomaru!" He crossed his arms over his chest and turned his back on a frustrated Kagome.  
  
"Well, you trust ME don't you?"  
  
". . ."  
  
"Then believe me when I say that Sesshomaru won't try anything! I've actually spent some time getting to know him, and he's not all that bad. He's still kinda cold, but still!"  
  
"That's just IT Kagome!" He turned around to face her. He could tell she was totally confused now. "He's trying to get to us through YOU! He knows that we all trust you, and if you say that he's a friend, we'll all believe you! Then when we're all off our guard, he'll make his move, and run off with Tetsusaiga! He might not stop there, he might end up killing us! Killing you!"  
  
Kagome processed in all of this information. Sesshomaru wouldn't do THAT, would he?  
  
"You're wrong! You're just trying to get rid of him because of your stupid sibling rivalry!" Kagome shouted back, tears beginning to prick at her eyes.  
  
"Damnit, Kagome! You're so caught up in his little innocent act that you've become blind to his true intentions! Can't you see that I'm only trying to protect you? I can't live with myself if anything were to happen to you!" Inuyasha quickly covered his mouth after realizing he had let out a little too much.  
  
Kagome just stared, dumbfounded into Inuyasha's avoiding eyes.  
  
"Inuyasha. . ." She took a step closer to him, and reached out to cup his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "I understand, but I'm asking you to please trust me. I know he's not all bad." Inuyasha placed his hand over hers, and pressed her palm closer to his cheek. He sighed and stared into her pleading eyes.  
  
"I just don't want to lose you to Sesshomaru."  
  
'So, it's not just about Tetsusaiga.'  
  
"Inuyasha, are you jealous of me spending more time with Sesshomaru lately?"  
  
"Feh." She couldn't help but giggle. 'Yup, that's Inuyasha for ya.'  
  
"Come on, let's get back to the others."

* * *

Sesshomaru looked up as Inuyasha came back with Kagome. It almost bothered him to see them so close. Almost. He vaguely wondered what they were talking about. The children immediately ran to show Kagome new flowers and insects that they had caught during her absence. Kagome only smiled warmly at them before resuming their play, as if the slight interruption never happened.  
  
He noticed that she gave him glances now and then, but most of the time tried to avoid his gaze.

* * *

It was turning dark, fast. Everyone was beginning to settle in for the night, seeing as they were going to resume their jewel shard hunt sometime the next day. Sesshomaru was planning to leave in the morning as well with Rin and Jaken. Now, however, he decided to take a walk to clear his mind for a bit.  
  
His legs lead him to a small lake. 'A perfect spot to meditate.' He was about to do just that when he realized that he wasn't the only one there. Just a couple of yards away lay Kagome, who had her hands folded behind her head, and eyes gazing upward towards the stars. She turned slightly upon hearing Sesshomaru's nearing footsteps.  
  
Blue met Gold in the dark night, and stayed locked onto each other for a couple of minutes before Kagome averted her eyes back to the stars.  
  
"What're you doing here?" He asked, voice still cold as ever.  
  
"Thinking, looking at the stars, you know," she responded lazily.  
  
"And what are you thinking of?" He was surprised at his own question. Why should he care about what this woman-child thinks? Still, he awaited her answer.  
  
"About what you asked me earlier." He looked at her with questioning eyes, but face still frozen in his indifferent mask. "The answer is," she took a deep breath, "is No. I don't regret saving you." Sesshomaru was surprised at what she said.  
  
"Is that. . .so. . ."  
  
"Yes, and Inuyasha may hate me for it, but I know that what I did was right. No one has the right to take away another life, and I didn't think yours would be any different."  
  
Sesshomaru pondered over her words. What she said, it had meaning. He watched as she moved to stand up and stretch. She turned her heels to head back to camp, but stopped in her tracks. She turned her head slightly to look at him, and smiled.  
  
"Besides, I don't think Rin would be very happy to know that her Sesshomaru- sama wasn't there to protect her anymore." With that she left, leaving Sesshomaru to contemplate over what she said. Although Kagome was no longer in his presence, her scent lingered, surrounding the demon lord bathed in the moon's light.  
  
**End Chapter **

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**[A/N] **

Thank you for all of your reviews. Please read and review again! No flames please.


	5. Arigato

[A/N]

Thanks for your reviews! The fluff is coming up! For the full, complete version of this fic, visit the links on my profile. Oh yeah, a little bit of sexual tension in this chapter, but that's about all.  
  
**[Disclaimer]:** If you think I own Inuyasha, then you don't think much don't you? If at all.

* * *

Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

  
**Chapter 5: Arigato**

****

It was early. Rays of the morning sun barely peeked over the horizon, as the group of Shard Hunters continued drifting in the dream realm. One of them was not asleep however. Sesshomaru was awake, and watching over everyone as they slept. Or rather, watching one particular miko as she slept.  
  
He couldn't take his eyes off of her. What she had said the other night still plagued his mind, and he spent most of the night trying to figure her out instead of sleeping. It didn't help though, and he was still thoroughly confused.  
  
"Kagome, why do you irk me so?" he whispered to the wind, as if hoping she would hear his question in her dream. Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow when she moaned slightly in her sleep. 'Maybe she DID hear it. . .' He frowned though, when he saw her shift in her sleep to pull the little kitsune closer to her body, snuggling him close.  
  
'Grrrr, he's marring her scent!' He almost made a move to rip the kit off of her to keep her tantalizing aroma clean. Sesshomaru mentally slapped himself when he realized what ran through his mind. 'What am I thinking? Why should I care? It's not like I enjoy it!' He tried to push all related thoughts of the miko aside, and instead focused on Rin, who was sleeping near Kagome as well.  
  
She wiggled a little closer to Kagome, hoping to receive more warmth from the older girl. For the first time, Sesshomaru could see that Rin was truly content. 'Could this have been the miko's doing as well?' He sighed when he felt the tiny little pricks of a forming headache. Why couldn't he keep his mind off of her? He could not let a mere human-his brother's wench at that, to overtake his mind.  
  
'When I leave, so will these thoughts of Kagome,' he assured himself, rubbing his temples slightly. But somewhere in the back of his mind, lingered a shadow of doubt.

* * *

"More ramen, please!" Rin held out her bowl expectantly for Kagome to refill, giving off her unusually wide toothy grin. Kagome giggled and took the bowl to give the little girl seconds. Breakfast went by surprisingly without any complications. Even Jaken seemed to be content with his own bowl of noodles. 'Probably trying to get the wormy taste out of his mouth. . .'  
  
Kagome was pleased to see the two brothers not fighting for once, although she could still see them staring daggers at each other from time to time. She looked at Inuyasha, and then to Sesshomaru. 'Those two are so different from each other, but in some ways, they're so much alike. . .' Kagome mused over this thought for a while, until she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve.  
  
She looked down to see Shippo, looking at her with big puppy-dog-eyes.  
  
"Kagome? Are you gonna finish that?" He pointed to Kagome's half-full bowl, which she had forgotten she still had.  
  
"No, Shippo-chan, you can have it."  
  
"Yay!" he pounced into her lap, and began eating the rest of her breakfast.  
  
Sesshomaru watched her out of the corner of his eye, as she conversed playfully with the children. 'She would make an excellent mother someday.' Again he shook himself. 'Why are all of these thoughts beginning to manifest?' he was frustrated, very. Just yesterday she was just an acquaintance, his brother's wench. But now, she's an all out enigma, one that never ceased to intrigue the taiyoukai.  
  
Kagome could feel holes boring into her back. She turned around to find Sesshomaru's intense gaze upon her. He blinked when he realized she had caught him staring. Kagome gave him a small, but warm smile. She was quickly taken back when he growled and turned sharply away from her. 'Frosty,' was the first word that popped into her head.  
  
She sighed, then turned her attention back to Rin and Shippo. 'But then again, what did I expect? He's the ice prince.' Rin slurped up the rest of the soup before dragging Shippo to the flower field to play. Their bowls lay in a forgotten heap on the ground. 'Rin,' she thought. 'If he was able to care enough to take Rin in, then he couldn't be unmeltable.'  
  
"Kagome!" She turned to face Inuyasha.  
  
"Don't you think we should start looking for shards again? I mean, it's been two days! We should already be off if it weren't for Sesshomaru," he said his brother's name as if it was dripping poison. Kagome sighed.  
  
"I know, but you just have to wait a little longer, we'll leave today, promise!" She stuck out her pinky at him. He looked confusedly down at it. She giggled, of course he didn't know how to pinky swear. She grabbed his hand and linked her own pinky in his, giving it a light shake and smiling brightly up at him.  
  
"Pinky promise, so I won't break it no matter what!" Inuyasha blushed slightly at their still linked fingers.  
  
"Okay," he sighed, trying to sound annoyed with her. Kagome nodded at him before releasing his pinky, her face slightly flushed also.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched the scene from a distance. He fought a growl threatening to spill from his lips at the sight of the two. It didn't make any sense to him why she was so loyal to the mutt. Not to mention, he wasn't deserving of it. The growl escaped when he saw her give him one of her award-winning smiles. He felt that his brother was even more undeserving of her smiles.  
  
'NO! I don't care what kind of relationship she has with that bastard! She's just another filthy human that my brother has chosen for his plaything!' His mind recalled the undead miko that Inuyasha loved before. It disgusted him. Even more so when he realized that he replaced her with someone who looked exactly like her too. Kagome deserved better. 'Grrr!' He wanted to stop thinking of her NOW.  
  
"Jaken!" the little toad scurried forth at his master's call.  
  
"Yes, m'Lord?"  
  
"Get Rin, we're leaving now," he said, voice unwavering. Kagome heard his order to the toad, and ran to Sesshomaru.  
  
"Wait!" He looked coldly down at her. 'What does she want, now?' She shifted under his heated gaze, and looked nervously up into his golden orbs.  
  
"Can't you let Rin play just for a little longer?" He narrowed his eyes at the request. He turned his attention to a complaining Rin who was being dragged by Jaken. "Please? I'm willing to bet anything that she doesn't get to play with others her age that often."  
  
He observed Kagome carefully, then looked down at Rin, who was giving him a pleading look.  
  
"Pretty please, Sesshomaru-sama? Rin doesn't want to leave yet." He sighed. Yes, Rin was making him go soft. He closed his eyes wearily, and nodded.  
  
"Arigato! Sesshomaru-sama!" Rin said happily, hugging his leg before running back to Shippo.  
  
"Yes, thank you, Sesshomaru," he opened his eyes to once again look at Kagome, who was beaming at him. He wasn't sure, but he felt a lurch somewhere in the pit of his stomach. Sesshomaru watched as she followed the children to the fields, and decided to follow her.  
  
They both stopped a good distance from them, just perfect enough for them to keep an eye on the playful tykes. He sighed, why had he given in? It used to be that whatever he said, goes. Now one miko says she wants otherwise and he gives in. Why? He found himself wondering about Kagome again, why couldn't he figure her out?  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama," He turned to look at her. "Where will you go, once you leave us?"  
  
"Back to the Western Lands." He answered indifferently.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Understand this, once we part, we will be enemies once more," he stated. Kagome nodded.  
  
"I know," he was surprised to hear a hint of sadness in her voice. "But while you're here, we're all allies," she turned to him, restating what she had said the day before. He continued to gaze at her through emotionless eyes. Though inside confusion consumed him.  
  
"Oh! I forgot to remove your bandages!" She clapped her hands together at her realization.  
  
"I can remove them myself." He retorted. Did she think that he was incapable of doing so? He saw her face fault.  
  
"Yeah, but there's something I wanted to. . ." Her voice trailed off. He quirked an eyebrow at her. Sesshomaru began to let his imagination take over to finish that sentence. He mentally shook himself, disgusted at himself for even thinking such thoughts. Still, he looked at her curiously.  
  
He saw her blush when she realized how she phrased her sentence. She gave him a look that said "Not THAT, ya hentai!"  
  
"You'll see," was all she said. He never took his eyes off her, but instead began to undo his armor and upper kimono like he usually would for her to rewrap his bandages. He heard her gasp, and was slightly pleased that he still had that effect on her.  
  
He felt her delicate fingers work to unwrap the bandages. He still felt the tingling sensation when she touched him, and surprisingly quite enjoyed it. When she was done, she gave a satisfied smile.  
  
"All better! No scar or anything!" She ran her fingers over his skin where the wound used to be, marveling at his amazing recovery, and flawless skin. Sesshomaru found himself once again suppressing a groan.  
  
It became more difficult to suppress when he felt her hand move up from his side, traveling across to his chest and brushing past his shoulder blades. 'Gods, what is she doing?' Sesshomaru closed his eyes. His body felt like it was on fire! He felt her hand rest upon his stub of an arm, and his eyes snapped open.  
  
Kagome was looking at it like she had the first night, sadness clouded over her eyes. 'It's my fault that this happened.' She closed her eyes and focused all of her miko powers into one thought. Sesshomaru watched with widened eyes as Kagome began to take on a pinkish glow.  
  
His head snapped to look at his stub, where he felt most of her powers focusing and collecting upon. Warmth began to engulf him. Not just his arm, but his entire body. Sesshomaru could've sworn it felt like floating. All the while, he never took his gaze off of Kagome. He watched in amazement as a distinguishable arm began appearing from the tip of his stub. 'Strange,' he thought. He had always imagined that his arm would grow back instead of just appearing.  
  
When she was done, she opened her eyes and stared dazedly at Sesshomaru.  
  
"Ha! Knew I could do it. . ." she said triumphantly before collapsing. Sesshomaru caught her with his newly formed arm and cradled her against his chest. Why had she done that? He examined her peaceful face and brushed away a stray lock of hair from her face.  
  
"Sesshomaru!" An angry voice reached his ears. 'Inuyasha.' Indeed, his half- brother landed right in front of him. Inuyasha looked suspiciously at Sesshomaru, then his eyes widened when he saw an unconscious Kagome in his arms. 'Wait, arms?'  
  
"What did you do to her?" He asked through gritted teeth. Sesshomaru stood up calmly, still holding the passed out girl. Inuyasha gave a threatening growl before snatching Kagome from Sesshomaru's grasp.  
  
"ANSWER ME!" He demanded.  
  
"I have done nothing to your precious Kagome, dear brother," he spoke the words bitterly. "But rather, what she did for me." Inuyasha's eyes widened in realization as Sesshomaru held up to examine his newly formed arm. It was perfect, right down to the two purple stripes.  
  
Inuyasha clutched onto Kagome tightly. 'Kagome. . . did that?' Emotions began to swirl in his head. Confusion, bewilderment, anger, and most of all. . . jealousy?  
  
Sesshomaru inwardly smirked when he sensed Inuyasha's rage flaring. He calmly slipped his upper kimono and armor back on, then walked closer to Kagome. Inuyasha growled and hung onto her possessively, daring him to come any closer. Sesshomaru glared at him, 'He acts as if she is his mate!' He growled at the thought, but stopped when he heard Rin and Shippo coming near.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama, look at all the flowers that we. . ." Both of them ran over to Inuyasha, who still held Kagome.  
  
"What happened? Is Kagome-neesan gonna be okay?" Rin asked with worried eyes. Inuyasha glared at his brother, as if to say, 'This is all your fault.' Sesshomaru ignored this however, and went to pat Rin's head reassuringly.  
  
"Hai Rin, she will be fine. She's just resting." Rin sighed in relief, and began tracing Kagome's features 'Kagome-neesan looks like an angel!' She giggled. Shippo pounced onto Inuyasha's shoulder, gazing sadly down at her.  
  
"Momma?" At the sound of his voice Kagome began to stir. Inuyasha put her down to lie on the grass, as she opened her eyes to the world around her. She blinked.  
  
"Why is everyone looking at me like that?"  
  
"Kagome, Are you okay?" Inuyasha asked, worried as he checked her over for any injuries.  
  
"Hai. I'm just a little tired." Sesshomaru stared intently down at her. She looked up at him, and gave him a weary smile.  
  
"That's good to know, now mind telling me what you were thinking giving back my bastard of a brother his arm back?!" Inuyasha's caring demeanor was stripped away in a second as his voice turned hurt and accusing.  
  
"I. . .uh. . .well, it's like this," She continued to stutter for an answer, as Inuyasha's temper began to climb. Sesshomaru too was curios to know what her answer would be. Miroku was watching with interest as well, and could tell that Kagome could use a little help.  
  
"Inuyasha, Kagome has been through enough for one morning, why don't we let her rest for a while?" Inuyasha glared at the monk, before turning away.  
  
"Feh." Was all he said before taking off into a nearby tree to brood. Kagome mouthed a silent "Thank You" to Miroku, who nodded. Then a sudden perverted look came over his face. 'All you have to do to repay me is to bear my child!' he thought, and was about to say it aloud when he caught Sango giving him a nasty look. 'Maybe another time.'

* * *

Sesshomaru had decided to stay just a while longer, at least until Kagome recovered. It was the least he could do after everything she had done for him. 'And in exchange for nothing too.' He watched her as she sat by the riverbank, deep in thought. He landed near her, she turned to look up at him.  
  
"Like the present?" Kagome asked jokingly.  
  
"Why?" It was all he could say. He knew she knew what he meant.  
  
". . ." Before she could answer, Rin ran up to her, holding a bouquet of blue flowers.  
  
"Look, Kagome-neesan!" She held up one for her to see. "It matches Kagome- neesan's eyes!" Kagome smiled warmly at Rin and took the flower in her hand.  
  
"Rin-chan, do you know what this flower is called?" She shook her head. "It's called a Forget-Me-Not."  
  
"Why is it called that?"  
  
"Because people give it to the ones they love so they won't forget about them." Rin looked at the flowers in her hands, and broke out into a huge grin.  
  
"Rin's gonna keep this flower, so Rin will remember Kagome-neesan forever and ever!" Kagome laughed at this, and gave Rin a hug. Sesshomaru watched them with a sparked interest. It was endearing. He wanted to learn more about Kagome, and even though he knew it was unfit for him to do so. Was that so wrong? Sesshomaru shook off the thoughts. 'No, this ends today.'  
  
"Rin, are you ready to leave?" She nodded and ran to his side. He called for Jaken, who scurried to Sesshomaru's side as well. Inuyasha and the others watched as a puffy white cloud began to form at Sesshomaru's feet.  
  
Kagome stepped toward Sesshomaru, and held out the "Forget-Me-Not" flower that she still clutched in her hand. He looked confusedly at her for a moment.  
  
"Remember me, ne?" He stood there shocked, before slowly reaching out to accept the flower. Sesshomaru examined it for a while.  
  
'When I leave, so will these thoughts. When I leave, so will these thoughts. When I leave. . .' he had tried to convince himself, but now, the thought of leaving suddenly pained him a little. He tried to find reasons for him to stay for a little while longer, just to figure out why she had such an affect on him.  
  
He considered for a moment to feign an injury, and have her care for him once more, but thought rather childish of it. Finding that he had no real reasons, he decided to leave. The cloud began to lift from the ground, but before he took off, he turned to Kagome.  
  
"Arigato," he said in his monotone voice. Although his face remained emotionless, Kagome could see a flicker of emotion in his eyes for a split second. He had THANKED HER! Much to her and everyone's surprise. Even Inuyasha almost fell out of his tree.  
  
Kagome gave him one of her genuine smiles.  
  
"Sure, Sesshomaru-sama." With that, he left, his cloud leaving wisps of silver trailing behind.  
  
**End Chapter**

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[A/N]

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	6. Perhaps

**[A/N]**

Thanks for all of your reviews! No flames please. Oh yeah, the beginning of this chapter portrays a dream, which I have a pic up on my mediaminer account. Check out the link on my bio-page.

**[Disclaimer]:** Let's be smart about this pplz.

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 6: Perhaps**

The wind blew gently, caressing his flawless face and swaying his silver tresses in a rhythmic dance in the air. Sesshomaru stood upon his balcony, overlooking his lands with an intense gaze. His mind wandered though, to that of an enigmatic girl with midnight locks and deep liquid blue eyes.  
  
He shook his head in slight frustration. It had been a week now, and still she continued to plague his mind in every single waking moment. Not even in his sleep could he find salvation, for she would be there to haunt him in his dreams as well. He closed his eyes, recalling the dream he had of her just the other night.

* * *

Sesshomaru lay in a field, abundant with flowers of every sort and color. The sky was clear, with a few clouds floating across it. A sakura tree was shading him from the midday sun that hung in the sky, scattering its blossoms to the wind.  
  
His eyes were closed, and he felt oddly comfortable and at peace. This place had a pleasant scent to it too. Sakura blossoms and jasmine. . .wait. He noticed that his head was cushioned with some type of pillow. He hesitantly opened his eyes only to see a figure of a girl hovering above him. His eyes widened when he realized the girl was none other than Kagome, and that he was resting his head on HER lap!  
  
She gave him one of her warm smiles, and gently ran her fingers through his silky hair. Sesshomaru willed himself to move away, but found that he couldn't on account that he was frozen to the spot. Instead, he began to relax into her, and realized that he quite liked feeling her fingers in his hair.  
  
He began to purr, much to his own surprise, and closed his eyes, relishing her touch. Sesshomaru heard her giggle, the sound ringing pleasantly in his ears. His eyes snapped back open to look into her eyes, which were full of warmth and mirth. Somehow, he didn't want to hide himself behind his cold façade here. For some unexplainable reason, he wanted her to see. . .see what? He wasn't entirely sure himself.  
  
"Sesshomaru," he heard Kagome say his name, her voice almost like a melody. He blinked, his attention fully on her. "If you and I had met under different circumstances, could we have been friends?" She looked down at him with kind eyes, although he could sense a bit of longing in her voice.  
  
"Perhaps," he answered, still in his indifferent tone. "But we cannot change the past, and so it does not do well to indulge in such wishes." He heard her giggle again, and stared at her. 'What was so funny?'  
  
"Oh Sessho-chan, even in here you refuse to show yourself to me, even though I can see quite plainly that you do." He glared at her. 'Is she mocking me?' He saw Kagome ignore his gaze however, and averted her eyes to the surrounding beauty of the dream.  
  
"When I die, I want to be reincarnated into a bird, so I can just fly away," Sesshomaru continued to gaze at her, waiting patiently for her to go on. "That way, I can just escape from everything. The responsibility of the Shikon no Tama, of having to balance two lives," she paused, a look of sadness tainting her eyes, " and the pain of loving one who does not see."  
  
Sesshomaru felt a growl beginning to rise in his chest. 'Even in a dream she thinks of my bastard half-brother!' He turned his attention back to her when she continued talking.  
  
"I want to escape the sorrow, maybe fly to a place exactly like this. . .a place where I can find. . . you." He lay there shocked. Did she mean. . ? 'No, impossible.' Sesshomaru turned away from her, trying to block her out, but failed when he felt her warm hands caressing his face, and turned his head so that he was forced to look at her again. Kagome was tracing his features, lightly going over the stripes on his cheeks, and then to the crescent moon on his forehead. He once again felt the tingling sensation that came from the brush of her fingers.  
  
Suddenly, he felt something moist fall onto his cheek. He looked up at her to find that she was crying. Tears were sliding from her cerulean orbs and falling onto his face. 'Why is she crying?' He wanted to know. It pained him to see her like this, and at the moment, he wanted nothing more than to stop her from shedding any more tears.  
  
He reached out to wipe the salty droplets away, but just as he was about to make contact, everything became fuzzy and distorted, throwing him out of the ending dream.

* * *

That dream had left him troubled all morning. Sesshomaru paced back and forth. It doesn't make any sense! What meaning did it hold? And why is it now that he was beginning to have these dreams? Most of all, why was SHE in it?! He growled in frustration. When he left, he was sure that whatever effect the girl had on him would disappear as well, but now, it only seems to have grown ten fold.  
  
Sesshomaru had willed himself to hate her, but failed miserably, he couldn't. God help him why he couldn't. He left the balcony, and entered the library, where shelves upon shelves were packed with books. Sesshomaru walked past them though, and instead went to a desk in the corner, and picked up an old leather bound book that was placed on it.  
  
He opened it, and flipped through the pages until he came to a page that he had book marked with. . .a blue forget-me-not flower. He carefully took it out of the book and examined it. This was the same flower that Kagome had given him the week before. Sesshomaru wasn't sure either why he had decided to preserve it, and did his best not to think about why, for every time that he did, he would become angry and disgusted with himself.  
  
"Forget-Me-Not" that was what Kagome had called it. 'How fitting,' he mused, turning the delicate flower over. Every time he looked at it, he was reminded of her cerulean depths. It taunted him, reminded him of the constant fact that he could not forget about the miko.  
  
Oh, how badly he wanted to just forget, to erase the vision of her haunting smile away from his memory forever. And yet, the thought of forgetting her saddened him. He didn't want to forget her heavenly scent. Yes, he admitted it was heavenly, and what's more, he discovered that he slept easier when he was surrounded by her scent. Oddly enough, he found that he had missed it upon the first night that he came back home.  
  
Was that why he still kept this flower, even now?  
  
"Remember me, ne?" Her voice rang over and over again in his mind, and even in his ears still. 'Why am I contemplating the existence of a mere human? She is nothing to me! Another speck of dirt that is beneath me!' Sesshomaru paused in this thought. 'No, she is different. I should be grateful for what she has done for me, and should the very least respect her for being able to tolerate that baka, Inuyasha.'  
  
He looked down to the flower that he still held in his hand.  
  
"Kagome," he whispered her name, it rolled off of his tongue just like it had the first time he had spoken it. Except now, he could almost taste her name upon his lips. With that, he placed the flower back into the book, shut it, and placed it back onto the table.

* * *

"Inuyasha, slow down!" Kagome huffed as she followed the impatient hanyou. Inuyasha ignored her, and everyone's demands for a rest though, and walked stubbornly forward. He knew that he was being a bit harsh on the group, but Kagome had just claimed that she sensed a whopping total of 10 jewel shards moving away from their direction. If they wanted to catch up to it, breaks were unacceptable.  
  
"Come on, Ya lazy bums! Geez, humans are so unfit and weak for traveling, I don't know why you bother!"  
  
"Sit." Thump. "There! Now we'll just have to wait until you recover!" Kagome said cheerfully before ploppling onto a nearby rock to sit down. She could hear Inuyasha's barely audible curses through the dirt.  
  
Everyone took a seat as well, and Kagome passed out juice boxes that she had been carrying in her oversized backpack to the others. She placed one near Inuyasha's subdued form for him to drink once the spell wore off.  
  
Shippo pounced onto Kagome's lap, and sipped his juice happily. He noticed that his surrogate mother had a slightly worried look plastered onto her face.  
  
"Kagome, what's wrong?" She snapped out of her daze to look down at the little kit.  
  
"I'm just a little worried about the youkai that I sensed with all the jewel shards." Sango inched a little closer to Kagome.  
  
"Why is that? Is it because you're afraid of how powerful it will be, wielding all those shards?" Kagome sighed, and put her juice box down.  
  
"Kinda, but something about the youkai's aura is familiar, very evil and malevolent." Sango's eyes widened.  
  
"You mean Naraku?"  
  
"I'm not sure. . ." At the mention of Naraku's name, Inuyasha bolted straight up, fist clenched, and fire burning visibly in his eyes.  
  
"That's why we gotta go now! The longer we stay here sucking that fruit- flavored water, the lesser chance we'll get of nailing Naraku!" He fumed when everyone just brushed off his little speech, and proceeded over to Kagome's cookies.  
  
"Calm down, Inuyasha! As I recall, you're the one who likes 'sucking that fruit-flavored water' the most!" Kagome said with slight amusement as she watched his cheeks radiate an embarrassing pink. He gave off an annoyed "Feh," before picking up the juice box that was placed near him and taking a seat. He drank it with a sour face, hating to admit defeat.  
  
Kagome smiled triumphantly, but couldn't help but worry over the youkai that she sensed. Shippo wanted to get her mind off of things, so he decided to talk about something else.  
  
"Hey, Kagome, do you think I'll ever be able to play with Rin again?" Kagome smiled down at him before giving him an answer.  
  
"I'm sure you will! But, it's really up to Sesshomaru. If he ever gets around to bringing her around again, which is highly unlikely."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, the next time we'll see him, he'll most likely be his old self again, you know, trying to steal Tetsusaiga and yelling 'Die Inuyasha!'" Kagome's voice became laced with a hint of sadness at this. She didn't want to fight him, not now, or ever. She sighed, remembering his golden depths.  
  
"But Momma, isn't Sesshomaru our friend now, after all that we've done for him?" Everyone heard a sarcastic "Feh," from Inuyasha.  
  
"Well, sometimes, it's hard to put things behind and change yourself for the better," Kagome gently explained. She petted his fluffy tail playfully, and he began to giggle with delight. 'I wonder what would happen if I were to pet Sesshomaru's tail. . ." She shook her head at the thought. 'Whoa, where did THAT come from?'  
  
"I don't get it," came Sango's voice. Kagome turned her attention to her, while still petting Shippo's tail. "Why would someone as sweet and innocent as Rin, stay with someone as cold and bloodthirsty as Sesshomaru? And what's more, why would someone like Sesshomaru even allow it at all?"  
  
Kagome racked her brain, recalling that one conversation that she had with the taiyoukai when she was plagued by that same question.  
  
"Rin was an orphan, and she cared for Sesshomaru when he was injured. Sesshomaru brought her back to life with the Tenseiga when she was killed by a wolf youkai pack, and cares for her to this day. Why, I don't think HE even knows." Kagome mulled over the story once again.  
  
"But I think it's because that somewhere behind that emotionless mask, he has a heart, even if it is of ice, it's there, and Rin's beginning to make it melt." Sango nodded, hearing a bit of hope in Kagome's tone when she spoke of the demon lord.  
  
Suddenly, Kagome's serene face broke into one of fear and worry. Inuyasha threw aside his juice box, and unsheathed Tetsusaiga, growling deeply. Miroku and Sango took this as a warning for incoming danger, and went into defensive stances.  
  
Kagome placed Shippo upon her shoulder, and readied her bow and arrows. She could sense it now, the shards coming in fast, and she was now sure of the shard owner's identity as well.  
  
"He's coming, Naraku's coming!"

* * *

Sesshomaru watched as the little girl was playing in the gardens. He had noticed that she seemed less energetic since he had left Kagome and the others one week prior. The child missed the older girl, he could tell.  
  
After gathering a slightly smaller amount of flowers/weeds than usual, Rin decided to call it a day and went to Sesshomaru, who was waiting patiently for her by the large boulder.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama," she said in a rather shy voice, he nodded for her to continue. "Can we go visit Kagome-neesan? Rin misses playing with Shippo- chan and Kagome-neesan."  
  
He looked down at Rin, who was now fidgeting for an answer, and plucking the petals off of her gathered flowers.  
  
"Perhaps," her head snapped up to look at him, excitement shown brightly in her eyes. Oh, how he hated to burst her bubble. It's not like he could just casually come and say 'Good day, I know you dislike me, but Rin wants a play date, so here I am!' He shook his head, surprising himself that he had a sarcastic voice with sarcastic answers.  
  
"But not today, another time, Rin." There. He answered her, and frowned when she gave him a disappointed look. But a second later, she put back on her toothy smile, he raised a delicate eyebrow at the child.  
  
"Okay! How about tomorrow? Rin wants to play lotsa games with Kagome- neesan! Will Sesshomaru-sama take Rin tomorrow?" She began jumping up and down ecstatically. He patted her head somewhat affectionately.  
  
"We'll see, Rin." Sesshomaru looked up into the slowly descending sun. He sighed, it was about time that he should begin patrolling his lands. He called Jaken forward to take Rin inside and get her dinner. The little toad muttered protests at first, but obeyed immediately when he saw Sesshomaru's piercing gaze.  
  
Once Rin was inside, Sesshomaru took off on his white cloud, and began looking over his lands. It was uneventful, as always, until he caught the disgusting scent of sulfur and blood in the direction of a forest a little outside of his lands. 'Naraku,' he recognized the scent immediately.  
  
He didn't care much for the hanyou though, and was about to ignore and resume patrolling when a faint scent of sakura blossoms and jasmine. 'Kagome?' She must be near where Naraku was. He decided to edge a little closer to the area, and growled deeply when he caught something else in the atmosphere.  
  
Blood. 'Kagome's blood.' With that one final thought, he flew at full speed, hoping to reach her in time. What compelled him to do so, he wasn't sure. Perhaps it was because he felt he was in debt. Yes, that's it. He was going to repay her for healing his wound and restoring his arm.  
  
But still, the thought of Kagome dying by Naraku's hands, was too unbearable to think.  
  
'Kagome,' was all that he could think of the entire time.  
  
**End Chapter**

* * *

**[A/N]**

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	7. No, We're Friends

[A/N]

Mild lime in the upcoming chapter. Oh, and for my other readers, my fics, full complete version, can still be viewed on the sites listed on my profile. If you wish to know when updates or new chapters will be posted on me, and I shall put you on my mailing list.

**[Disclaimer]:** (sweatdrop)

* * *

Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

  
  
**Chapter 7: No, We're Friends**

Kagome drew back her bowstring. Her body ached from all the blows that she had received from Naraku's swinging tentacles, and she had all the bruises and cuts to prove it. She let her arrow fly, aiming straight for Naraku's heart. But much to her dismay, he had blocked and thrown her arrow aside with his extended tentacles.  
  
Her eyes became clouded over with panic when she realized the tentacle didn't stop there, but went flying towards her! It collided into her side, digging a gash that tore through her fabric and deep into her flesh. Kagome cried out in pain, cringing into a ball on the forest floor, which was quickly becoming covered in a pool of her own blood.  
  
"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried out her name, his voice laced with fear and worry for the wounded miko. "You, bastard, how dare you hurt her!" He charged at Naraku, his rage fueled and swinging his Tetsusaiga at anything that the demon threw in his way. He had succeeded in slicing away many of the poisonous tentacles, but that did little, for they grew back just as quickly as he had disposed of them.  
  
"Damnit!" he cursed.  
  
Kagome watched as Inuyasha tried to fight off Naraku. She clutched her bleeding side, and winced painfully when she struggled to get up. She glanced over to where Miroku and Sango were trying to fight off a couple of demons that Naraku decided to take along, just to make things more difficult.  
  
Sango was doing fairly well with her boomerang, but Miroku was having trouble keeping up without his wind tunnel. Afterall, Naraku never failed to bring his poison insects with him whenever they faced off.  
  
'I have to help them.' Kagome struggled to stand on her feet, which didn't seem to have enough strength to support her own weight. Her wound was bleeding profusely now, and blood poured freely from it, trickling down to stain her uniform, and onto her bruised legs.  
  
"Momma, you mustn't!" Shippo said frantically upon seeing Kagome injured. He ran quickly over to her when he saw her try to get up, using a tree for support. Her breathing was labored now, and her vision became slightly blurred.  
  
"I'm fine, Shippo-chan," she assured rather shakily.  
  
"No you're not! You're bleeding! We gotta heal those wounds!" He was jumping up and down now in worry. Shippo was shocked when she gave him a forced smile.  
  
"I'll be fine." Kagome said, her voice gentle with reassurance. She continued to give him a stern look, and his eyes welled up with tears upon hearing her words. 'Why won't she listen?' He watched as she removed her red tie on her uniform, and wrapped it rather hastily over her wound in an attempt for a makeshift bandage.  
  
Kagome leaned up against the tree, face set with determination. Inuyasha had been knocked down, and was pinned by Naraku to the ground. She could tell he was really hurt himself. Naraku let out a maniacal laugh at the group of protagonists.  
  
"Fools, do you really think you can defeat me? I knew you were all stupid, but this is beyond expectation!" He let out another sickening laugh, "Soon, I will be rid of you, then nothing can stop me from achieving my goals!"  
  
Kagome lifted up her bow, arrow placed in its spot, and ready to be fired. She winced when a sudden pain spread from her injury and ran all the way to her fingertips. She was becoming numb from all the pain, and her vision became foggier by the minute. She just needed to stay up long enough to shoot her arrow.  
  
'This might just kill me. . .' she thought a little bitterly. She pulled back her arrow, her bowstring making a slight plucking sound as she did so. Unfortunately for her, Naraku was ever vigilant, and heard the sound of her drawing back her arrow. He growled menacingly at her, before thrusting a tentacle sharply tipped with poison at her before she had the chance to shoot.  
  
"Die! Bitch!" Naraku yelled, his voice full of hatred toward the girl.  
  
"KAGOME! NO!" Inuyasha tried desperately to reach out to her, and block her from Naraku's blow. His face contorted painfully when he realized he wouldn't be able to make it in time.  
  
Kagome shut her eyes instinctively, waiting for the blow to impact, but it never came.  
  
"I don't think so!" A smooth, velvety voice reached her ears, before the sound of tearing flesh and bone came after it. She hesitantly cracked open an eye, and soon had both eyes staring unbelievingly at the tall figure in front of her.  
  
"Sesshomaru. . .?" When the poisoned fumes had cleared, Sesshhomaru's proud and godly form clearly came into view. Around him lay pieces of flesh and blood from the now destroyed Naraku. Or so everyone would've liked to wish. At his feet was a wooden doll, tied with what looked like to be hair.  
  
Sesshomaru let out a feral growl before crushing it with his foot, breaking Naraku's golem in half. 'It was only a puppet.' He turned his attention to Kagome, who was still staring disbelievingly at the demon lord. She opened and closed her mouth again, trying to speak. But no words would come out.  
  
He was surprisingly relieved that he had made it in time to save her. Instead of saying something witty like he normally would, he settled with inhaling her sweet scent. Oh how he missed it, no matter how much he denied it, he did. His relief was quickly washed away when the strong scent of her blood was caught in his nose.  
  
"You're hurt." He simply stated. Kagome let out a half-hearted smile.  
  
"Thank You, Captain Obvious." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, she had a sense of humor, even in such a state. He watched as she tried to get up, she winced in pain, and clutched her side, which now the wound had begun to bleed through her red tie, turning it into a deep crimson color.  
  
She nearly fell when her legs gave out, still wobbly from the fight. Kagome felt strong arms wrap around her waste, holding her lithe form up against his body. She looked over at Sesshomaru with surprised eyes, and saw something close to concern in them.  
  
They stayed like that for a while, until a sharp,  
  
"Ahem," brought them back into reality. They turned around to see a quite pissed off hanyou. "Mind telling me what you're doing here, Sesshomaru?"  
  
Sesshomaru almost gave into smirking at the fact that his brother had needed his help for once, but refrained because of his dignity.  
  
"Saving your hide it seems, dear little brother."

* * *

Kagome was tending to everyone's wounds, her first aid kit plopped out in front of her. Shippo tried the best he could to help out by bringing Kagome anything she needed or asked for. Sesshomaru watched her silently, intrigued by her unfailing loyalty to her fellow companions.  
  
However, he couldn't help noticing that she had not attended to her own wounds yet, even though hers were the most great of them all. Despite this, she went to care for the others health before her own. 'How admirable.'  
  
His eyes moved with her every movement. She looked at him occasionally, he sensed confusion in her, and at the moment was quite confused himself. Why had he saved her? Come running to her aid at the smell of her blood? 'I'm in debt,' he reminded himself. Still, he eyed the girl curiously. Why had she not spoken to him since he arrived? He knew she was one who liked to talk and ask questions.  
  
While the taiyoukai was off in his own musings, Kagome was lost in thought herself. 'Why did he come and help us? Surely it's not because he cares, does he?' She finished wrapping bandages on Inuyasha's arm, and began collecting all of her supplies back into her first aid box. 'Sesshomaru sure isn't the cold youkai lord I thought him to be. He's really surprised me lately.'  
  
"All done, Inuyasha," he nodded at her and pulled up his kimono. Inuyasha smiled warmly at Kagome, who was half dazed at the time, but growled when he spotted Sesshomaru across her shoulder.  
  
Kagome was brought out of her thoughts at the sound of his growl, and gazed in the direction that Inuyasha was glaring in. Sesshomaru.  
  
"Inuyasha, be nice, he DID save our lives today."  
  
"Yeah, well, who asked him?" He huffed. Kagome sighed.  
  
"Don't make me say the 's' word! I bet it would hurt ten times as usual with the current wounds on your body. Besides, we wouldn't have gotten ten shard if it weren't for his help." Hearing this, Inuyasha ceased his growling, and resorted to mumbling under his breath.  
  
She turned away from him, and nervously approached Sesshomaru. Kagome stopped a foot in front of him, and looked up into his golden eyes. He looked back down at her, with equal intensity.  
  
"Are you hurt?" She asked in a voice barely above a whisper. Sesshomaru caught it though, and was shocked to see that she was concerned for him. Then again, after all that she had done before, he wasn't as surprised as he should've been.  
  
"No. But you still are," he pointed to her wound, and she blushed at the carelessness of her own health. While she was busily trying to heal everyone else, she had completely forgotten about herself.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Kagome went to go sit on a nearby rock, Sesshomaru followed her. She opened up her box, and was about to remove the red tie around her stomach, when a hand grabbed her wrist to stop her. She looked confusedly up at Sesshomaru. He shook his head at her.  
  
"Let me do it for you," he said, his voice stern. Kagome blinked.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It will be faster that way, besides, I feel that I must repay you for your kindness earlier," Sesshomaru replied calmly, though he said the last part rather fast. Kagome was disappointed at his answer, 'So, he only did it to pay off his debt.' For some reason she felt saddened. 'What for? It's not like Sesshomaru would come just to save ME! I mean, he's got better things to do!' Still, she couldn't stop the little pang of sadness from coming.  
  
Sesshomaru saw her face fault, and was quite displeased when he did. It was not the response that he was hoping for. But then again. . .what WAS he hoping for? Deciding to ignore this, he focused back to the task at hand.  
  
"Kit!" Shippo gave a slight 'eep' before running to the taiyoukai. "Bring me some water, and a piece of cloth," he said rather commandingly. Shippo looked as if to say why. "For Kagome," he added. At the mention of his 'momma' he straightened up and went to fetch the items.  
  
Sesshomaru turned back to Kagome, who was sitting quietly.  
  
"Now, let me see your wound," he reached out to remove the tie, but noticed that she backed slightly away, her face flushed. He couldn't help noticing that she looked rather pretty with her cheeks tainted with a bit of pink in them. Sesshomaru violently shook his head at the thought.  
  
"What's wrong? Why won't you let me see?" he asked, his tone getting a little harsh. She winced, and shifted uncomfortably. If he wanted to see the wound, she'd have to take off her sailor shirt, and well, let's just say she was very modest. Kagome began to blush even redder at the thought, and it didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru.  
  
A smile almost graced his lips when he realized why she seemed so flustered. She was embarrassed about showing himself to her. He gently lifted up her chin so that their eyes met.  
  
"Kagome," he said gently, "Please, now's not the time for modesty. You don't want to get an infection do you?" Sesshomaru saw her smile when he mimicked her on the night that he refused to let her bandage him as well. He felt suddenly warm at seeing this. HE had made HER smile. It was a new, but not unwanted feeling, and although he didn't want to admit it, he wanted to feel it again.  
  
After seeing many moments of hesitation flicker across her eyes, she slowly removed her shirt, letting the fabric slide over her lithe form, revealing more of her pale skin with each inch that the fabric rode up.  
  
Sesshomaru fought a groan upon seeing her full rounded breasts, although they were still not fully revealed to him, as a contraption of some sort hid some of her cleavage. Still, it was enough to make him go hard.  
  
He wasn't the only one staring though, because he could smell the arousal of his half-brother, and the monk. Sesshomaru growled, he suddenly felt possessive towards Kagome, and wanted no one to be able to look at her but himself. He almost made a move to cover her again, before he heard a voice yell,  
  
"HENTAIS!" And the smack of a boomerang making impact on two heads. Sesshomaru turned around to see that both Inuyasha and Miroku lay unconscious on the floor, while a fuming Sango held her boomerang triumphantly over her shoulder. She glanced over at Kagome and Sesshomaru, and for a moment looked like she was going to smack Sesshomaru too, before Kagome held up her hands to stop her.  
  
"No, Sango! It's alright! I took off my shirt so he could bandage my wound!" Sango eyed the demon lord for a while, who glared back at her, before turning away, and sitting under a tree to keep watch on him. 'Just in case he tries anything with her.'  
  
Sesshomaru scoffed at the exterminator before turning his full attention back to the beauty in front of him. Kagome began to blush, and tapped his shoulder to bring him out of his wandering thoughts.  
  
"Um, aren't you going to bandage me?" He nodded, trying to keep distracting thoughts from his head as he worked to slowly untie the red cloth that Kagome had put earlier there for her makeshift bandage.  
  
Sesshomaru was quite displeased when he saw the wound. The gash was deeper than he thought, and was still bleeding slightly. He was surprised that she was still conscience with a wound like that. Also, some of the wound already seemed to be closing up, and he was pleased that she was healing fast, for a human. 'Must be her miko powers.'  
  
Still, the sight and smell of her blood disturbed him. Usually, blood would excite him, and bring out the predator inside, but not hers, seeing her hurt strangely made him angry and sad at the same time. 'Why in the seven hells am I feeling like this?'  
  
"Here's the water and cloth that you asked for!" Shippo had come back, and held out a bowl of water and piece of cloth out for Sesshomaru. He nodded approvingly and drenched the rag into the ice-cold water. Shippo decided to go and wait patiently somewhere else as Sesshomaru took the cloth and began to gently dab and wash Kagome's wound.  
  
She winced when the fabric grazed against her wound, but tried her best not to let tears of pain fall from her tightly shut eyes. Sesshomaru noticed she stiffened in pain, and attempted to be a little more gentle in cleaning out her wound. Once he had washed away all of the dirt and dried blood, he nudged Kagome to hand him the bandages in her first aid box.  
  
Kagome reached for the bandages, and handed it to him, who unraveled it and began to gently wrap it around her waist. 'Strange, he's being almost tender with me. But this is Sesshomaru! Is he capable of tenderness?' She blushed when his fingers brushed onto her skin.  
  
Sesshomaru almost blushed too, although he was disgusted at himself for wanting to feel more of her skin. He began to 'accidentally' brush his fingers across her soft skin more often, enjoying the tingling, burning sensation that always came when they touched.  
  
"Why are you doing this? Saving us and helping me?" She asked again.  
  
"Because now, we're even." He answered indifferently. Kagome lifted his chin lightly.  
  
"No, we're friends." He fought the urge to smile when he heard those words. 'Kagome, why do you irk me so?' He found himself asking again.  
  
He was almost disappointed when he was finished, and his hands were frozen on her stomach. His eyes began to wander upward, drinking in her curves, and perfect skin until he reached her perfect round breasts. Sesshomaru swallowed, feeling himself go hard again as impure thoughts began to surface in his mind.  
  
He had the sudden urge to feel every part of her skin now. 'NO! She's a human!' But his hands ignored his thoughts, as it slowly went up to feel skin on her flat stomach. She was soft, and warm, the sensation so new and delightful to his fingertips. Kagome elicited a soft moan, barely audible for him to hear, but it alone made him want more. Her scent was unbearable as well, it surrounded him, taunted him. He could smell a bit of arousal as well. It was enough to drive him mad!  
  
His breathing became heavier, as his hands continued to wander the surface of her skin. Kagome felt hot, real hot. 'What is he doing?'  
  
"Sesshomaru?" Kagome whispered his name, and he stopped at the sound of her voice, as if it brought him back to reality. His head snapped up to meet her dazed blue orbs, and he quickly removed his hands from her.  
  
She continued to stare at him, as he cast his eyes downward to his lap. He looked almost guilty.  
  
Sesshomaru wouldn't look at her, too confused and ashamed. He heard rustling from behind, and knew she had put her shirt back on. 'What came over me?' He couldn't stand it anymore, he can't stay any longer with this sudden longing growing when he was around HER. 'I don't want to feel this emotion! I'm not supposed to feel!'  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome approached him cautiously.  
  
"I must go, there are things that I have neglected to attend to," he bit out the words to her, his voice once more cold and unfeeling.  
  
"I understand," somehow, she knew he wanted to be alone, and she must admit that she needed to alone for a while as well. He nodded at her, before mounting on his silver cloud.  
  
"Wait! Before you go, just remember that you and I are friends now, so if there's anything you need. . ." Sesshomaru said nothing, but nodded once again.  
  
"Thank You, for your help today Sessho-kun." He turned to look at her. Had she just called him? No, he had to leave, just don't think about her! She gave him her warm smile as always, before he set off, flying on the wind.  
  
Just then, Inuyasha and Miroku came out of their knock out state. Inuyasha blinked and examined everything around him before looking at Kagome.  
  
"Hey, where'd Sesshomaru go?" Kagome continued to gaze at the slowly disappearing figure in the sky, 'Sesshomaru.'

* * *

Sesshomaru paced back and forth on his balcony. What had just happened? He felt that there was nothing that he could do to stop the feeling of revulsion and shame that plagued his soul now. Except the strange part is, he wasn't disgusted or ashamed of the fact that she was human, but the fact that he did all of that to Kagome without her consent! Almost like he was forcing himself on her!  
  
He had no right to touch her like that, and now he felt dirty, like he had violated her!  
  
"KUSO!" Sesshomaru punched his wall, leaving a fairly large dent in it. His hand went up to rub his temples. Why? Why? Why? Why? WHY?!  
  
He was desperate for an answer now. He, the demon lord of the west, was not supposed to feel anything. And yet, now he was, and for a human! Something that he vowed would always hate ever since his father had taken in a human mate. He wasn't even sure what he felt for Kagome.  
  
"Kuso. . ."  
  
**End Chapter**

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Thank you for all of your reviews. Please review again! And please, no flames. And I apologize for any OOCness

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	8. I Can't Forget

[A/N]

Warning! There shall be mild lime in this chapter. But that's all it is: lime.

[Disclaimer]: Inuyasha Me = NO

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Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

  
  
**Chapter 8: I Can't Forget**

  
  
She moaned in pure bliss into his ear. How he loved it when she made those sounds. The best part was, he was the only one who could make her do so. He kissed her passionately, wrestling with her tongue before breaking off their kiss, gasping for air.  
  
She dug her fingers into his hair, and ran them along his silver locks before reaching his ear, and stroked them tenderly. He began to purr, and wrapped his tail tighter around her waist. He trailed hot kisses from her jaw, down to her neck, sucking lightly on the sensitive skin. He felt her hands pressing his head, holding him in place. His own hands roamed her curvaceous body before resting on her left breast, and he slowly began to massage it.  
  
"Oh, Sesshomaru!" She arched into his body, her head thrown back in pleasure. He grinned and stopped what he was doing, and began his slow and langurous lovemaking. He growled in delight at the feeling of being inside her. Her moans and whispers encouraged him on, and he soon quickened his pace.  
  
"Kagome. . ." he whispered her name huskily just before. . .

* * *

His eyes shot open just before he thought he reached his peak. Sesshomaru sat up in his bed, panting heavily, and sweat glistening on his pale skin in the moonlight. 'Why does she continue to plague me? And in the most intimate of dreams?' He rubbed his temples, his breathing returning to normal, though he could still feel the after affects of the dream.  
  
He laid his head back on his pillow, closing his eyes, and remembering the dream. It just seemed so real! Her scent surrounding him in their heated passion, the feel of her body beneath him, and her moans that echoed in the dark night.  
  
Sesshomaru was almost disappointed that it WASN'T real. He growled silently at the thought. 'No, I will not stoop so low as to lust and desire for human, not to mention my brother's wench at that. I will not fall into disgrace, unlike my father.' But was it really just lust? He didn't know anymore, and he didn't want to know.  
  
He slowly shut his eyes, in an attempt to regain sleep. He almost didn't want to, for fear of seeing her once again in his dreams. But a part of him, almost craved to see Kagome there. He growled again, 'This is only a phase, soon it will wear off, and all will be as it was before.' Sesshomaru sighed, he had tried to assure himself many times with the same thought, but he was beginning to wonder, if it really was just a phase.

* * *

She was exhausted. Completely, and what she would give if she could just rest if only for a minute. . .or fifteen. Kagome looked around at the others, and could tell everyone was equally tired. Only Inuyasha seemed to have energy left, but that's because he was hanyou.  
  
"Inuyasha, can we stop and make camp for the night? It's getting dark, and we're all really tired."  
  
"I agree. I'm pooped!" Shippo chirped. He slumped over Kagome's shoulder, sticking out his tongue to show his exhaustion. Inuyasha threw an annoyed glance over at them.  
  
"Feh. Weaklings, fine, you guys stay here while I find a decent place to camp."  
  
With that he took off, leaving the group for their short break until he returned. Kagome sighed, and sat down on the grass. Her legs ached from walking around all day, and a nice hot bath sounded really good right about now. Inuyasha sure pushed them hard, and he wasn't even the 'encouraging' pushing type. She sighed again. But when she looked in his eyes, she knew he wasn't as harsh as he intended to be. He just tries to hide it all.  
  
'Just like Sesshomaru.' Kagome's mind wandered briefly for a moment to the demon lord. Remembering his piercing golden gaze, and idly comparing them to Inuyasha's. Yes, they were alike, but Inuyasha's were more defined by his emotions, while as Sesshomaru's orbs hid everything from everyone.  
  
Despite his cold demeanor, she recalled the brief moments when some little inkling of emotions flickered across them, and most of the time they were directed at her. Kagome wanted to smile at the thought that at least he showed some emotion, and to her. It kind of mad her special.  
  
"Kagome?" She was brought back into reality when a hand waved in front of her face. "Hello? Is anyone home?" She looked up at the owner of the hand.  
  
"Oh, Inuyasha! When did you get back?"  
  
"Just now. I found a place to camp, so let's move out now!" He urged everyone and took the lead. Kagome groaned, 'We'll just have to walk a little bit further, and then we can REALLY take a rest!'  
  
After walking around for about ten to fifteen minutes, they came upon a small clearing with a pile of firewood that Inuyasha had already collected for them. Everyone plopped down, giving into their exhaustion. Kagome began to unpack all of the necessary supplies for dinner, and looked up at Inuyasha.  
  
"Hey, Inuyasha, is there a hot spring or lake around here?" She asked hopefully. He opened one lazy eye down at her and gave his usual annoyed "Feh."  
  
"Yeah, there's one that way. But be quick about it! I don't want you to spend all friggin' night soaking in that thing!" Kagome smiled gently up at him. He acted like he didn't care, but she knew that he never failed to find a place to camp without being near one of the things that Kagome finds the most comfort in, a hot spring or lake.  
  
"Great! I wanna take a hot bath right now!"  
  
"Hey, wait a minute! What about dinner?!" Inuyasha jumped from his usual perch to land right in front of her.  
  
"I'm too tired to eat! I just want a bath, besides, you guys have watched me make dinner enough times to do it on your own, right?" She began to gather up all of her bathing things.  
  
"Now, wait just a minute! Don't you dare go soak in that hole of hot water while we starve!" Inuyasha fumed.  
  
"Calm down, Inuyasha! Let Kagome take her bath, I'll prepare dinner!" Sango offered. Satisfied with the answer, he grudgingly nodded and went back to his previous spot.  
  
"But Sango, don't you want to come with me?" Kagome asked, hopefully.  
  
"No, Kagome-chan. I'll stay and prepare dinner. Not to mention I've already taken one the other day, besides, is it really healthy to take a bath everyday?" Kagome giggled at the question. 'I guess hygiene isn't all that important in this era.'  
  
"Alright, what about you, Shippo-chan?"  
  
"No thanks, I'm gonna stay for the ramen!"  
  
"Well, then, I guess it's just me tonight, huh?" She was about to head in the direction of the hot springs when a hand tapped her shoulder. She turned around to face Miroku.  
  
"You haven't asked me to accompany you!" He said, trying to sound innocent.  
  
"HENTAI!" (whack!) Miroku fell headfirst into the ground upon impact, and for a moment looked like Inuyasha when he was 'sat.' Kagome laughed lightly at this, and glanced at Sango.  
  
"I trust you'll keep him from peeking, ne Sango-chan?"  
  
"Hai. And if he does peek, I'll make sure that he won't be able to look at ANYTHING for at least a week!"

* * *

"Ahhh! That feels much better!" Kagome sighed in contentment as she slowly emerged into the warm water. She sat down on a rock, closing her eyes in bliss, feeling all of the day's aches and pains melt away into the spring.  
  
Kagome reached for her shampoo and soap, and slowly began to apply the lathery substance all over her body and hair. She washed it all off soon after, and in the process, her fingers brushed over the semi-scar on her waist.  
  
She stopped, her hand resting on it. 'Sesshomaru.' Kagome smiled at the memory of him healing her a couple of days ago. 'He was so gentle with me, it was kind of sweet. . .' She shook her head at the thought. 'If Sesshomaru knew I thought he was being sweet, I don't think he would be very 'gentle' the next time!'  
  
But still, she couldn't forget about his tender caress. She vaguely remembered missing it when he had stopped. Which brought her to her next confusion. Kagome closed her eyes, recalling his hands wandering all over her skin, and not just the wound, it was almost sensual, in a way.  
  
She blushed, just thinking about it made her body go all hot again. 'Bad, Kagome, Bad!' Kagome reopened her eyes, giving a slight pout before slumping deeper into the water, so that only her nose up was visible. 'I shouldn't be thinking about him like THAT, it's just wrong! Besides, it's not like it meant anything. Afterall, Sesshomaru, the great taiyoukai of the West, hated humans. He knows it, I know it, case closed!'  
  
She lifted her body up a little, just enough so that she could comb through her raven black hair. Kagome furrowed her eyebrows together, finding that she could not just stop thinking about him. 'But then, when I looked into his eyes, I saw something in them. They showed such loneliness, guilt, and. . .longing?'  
  
"Nah, that couldn't be it! What am I saying? Sesshomaru doesn't feel! Besides, I could've just been imagining it, afterall, I only caught all of that in one brief second!" She thought aloud to herself. Kagome still was left with doubt, however, and she focused on the memory once again.  
  
'I almost miss being near him.' As soon as the thought crossed her mind, she immediately felt a wave of guilt. She almost felt like she was betraying Inuyasha by just thinking about it. 'Not to mention Inuyasha still hates Sesshomaru!'  
  
Deciding she had spent enough time in the hot springs, she got up and began to dry and dress herself. 'Alright, stop worrying about Sesshomaru, you're probably not going to get to see him for a while anyway. Not until his next Tetsusaiga snatching attempt, so relax!'  
  
Making up her mind to push all thoughts of HIM to the back of her head, she gathered all of her things, and headed back to camp.

* * *

Sesshomaru opened up the leather bound book to what must've been the hundredth time, taking out the blue forget-me-not to examine, and then putting it back. This time however, he was intent on one thing, to destroy it. He didn't want to remember her any longer, and this one flower was the biggest reminder of her.  
  
Almost everything about the flower represented a certain aspect of Kagome. Her natural beauty, her cerulean orbs, her heavenly scent, and the fact that she was delicate, yet strong, just like this flower. Not to mention the name, grrr, he just couldn't forget! The name of the blasted thing even ensured it!  
  
Sesshomaru was convinced now, if he destroyed it, he would soon be able to forget. If there was nothing there to remind him of Kagome, then there was nothing to remember, right? He held it tightly in his hand now. Yes, this was the solution, all he had to do was to crush it, and. . .  
  
"No! I can't do it, I can't . . .forget. . ." he held the flower limply in his hands in defeat. This was infuriating, why couldn't he bring himself to do it? 'Because it's not that simple,' he admitted. He knew, even in his own stubbornness, that he probably couldn't just erase her from his mind that easily. She'd still be there, engraved in his memory wearing that wretched smile that seemed to warm him every time.  
  
'If only I could just hate you, like all the other worthless humans.'  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama!" He was brought out of his frustration at the sound of Rin's enthusiastic voice. "Sesshomaru-sama!" She squealed once more before latching herself onto his leg. He gave her a quick pat, and she loosened her grip on him.  
  
"What is it, Rin?" He asked her sternly, but not in his harsh tone. She looked up at him with her big cinnamon orbs, and grinned from ear-t-ear when she spotted the flower Kagome had given him clutched in his hand.  
  
"Does Sesshomaru-sama miss Kagome-neesan too?" His eyes focused back on the flower that he still held. Giving off a sigh, he placed it back into the book and closed it before turning back to Rin.  
  
"You want to visit her, do you not, Rin?"  
  
"Hai! Sesshomaru-sama promised Rin, remember?" Sesshomaru sorted through his memories.  
  
"I said, we'll see." Rin's smile slowly disappeared from her face, and turned into a pout. She had really been looking forward to being able to play with Kagome and Shippo again.  
  
Seeing the child's disappointment, he sighed before giving in.  
  
"Very well, we will see the miko today."  
  
"Yay! Rin's so happy!" She exclaimed, latching herself upon Sesshomaru once more. "Sesshomaru-sama's the bestest in the whole wide world!"

* * *

Kagome stuffed her sleeping bag back into her backpack, as she prepared herself for another long day of shard hunting. Miroku was doing his quick morning meditation, and Sango was polishing her haraikotsu. She giggled when she looked over at Shippo, who was gathering more leaves for his illusionary magic, but sneezed when some dirt was caught in his nose.  
  
Inuyasha however, was hovering over her shoulder, urging her to hurry up so they could be on their way.  
  
"Hold your horses, Inuyasha, it's still a bit early and. . ."  
  
"Kagome-neesan!" Out of seemingly nowhere, the little girl pounced on Kagome and had a death-grip around her waist.  
  
"Rin?! Where'd you come from?" She asked, surprised before returning the hug.  
  
"But, if she's here, then," Inuyasha growled when Sesshomaru stepped out from behind the trees. "YOU!" He quickly unsheathed Tetsusaiga, and didn't hesitate to lunge in for an attack when-  
  
"SIT BOY!" (thump! And inaudible curses follow soon after)  
  
Kagome stared for a moment at Sesshomaru, searching his golden depths.  
  
"Ohayo, Sessho-kun," she finally said, smiling warmly. Sesshomaru was still slightly shocked that Kagome called him that, but didn't mind. "What brings you here? I'm guessing it's not Tetsusaiga, because you brought Rin along." He nodded.  
  
"Rin has requested to see you again, she has done so ever since she was last here," he answered, convinced with his own reason for coming to see her again. Satisfied with the answer, Kagome nodded, and turned to Rin, who was tugging on her sleeve.  
  
"Can Kagome-neesan and Shippo-chan play games with Rin?" she asked hopefully.  
  
"Of course!" Kagome answered, and she heard Shippo cheer in the background, and Jaken mumble under his breath. She hadn't even noticed he was there before.  
  
"No, you won't! Tell Sesshomaru to go fuck off, because we're hunting for jewel shards!" In the blink of an eye, Inuyasha was being held by his throat by none other than Sesshomaru, who was growling in displeasure.  
  
"Show some respect, you whelp, and don't use such language in front of Rin." He said calmly, though a hint of anger was in his voice.  
  
"Sesshomaru! You agreed that while you're here, there will be no violence in front of Rin!" He looked over at the miko, who held Rin close to her.  
  
"Very well," and he dropped Inuyasha to the ground, who cursed under his breath while staring daggers at his brother.  
  
"Now, Inuyasha, let's just take a day off, it won't kill us! Besides, after that brutal hunt yesterday, I think we deserve it!" Inuyasha wouldn't comply, but found that he was outnumbered when Sango and Miroku sided with Kagome. They didn't have a problem with a day off, and Sesshomaru hadn't cause any trouble in any of their recent visits, so why not?  
  
Seeing that he was defeated, he threw everyone a glare before stalking off into a corner of sulk. Shippo and Rin squealed in delight, and ran off to play a game that Kagome had taught Shippo earlier called hide-and-go-seek.  
  
Kagome watched from a distance, debating with herself if she should just join in on the fun or not. She didn't even notice when Sesshomaru came up to her.  
  
"She speaks fondly of you," he started suddenly. She jumped at hearing his voice, and blushed slightly remembering her previous thoughts of the demon lord just the other night.  
  
"She's a very sweet child, and I think she's very lucky to have found someone like you to take good care of her," she smiled warmly at Sesshomru, who looked at her indifferently.  
  
"She gets lonely sometimes," he said, trying to ignore her compliment.  
  
"Well, bring her over anytime, we'll be glad to have her!" Kagome offered, possibly hoping that if he did, she would be able to see him more. 'Bad, Kagome, Bad!' Sesshomaru was about to answer her when a huge gust of wind blew in, sending dust and small rocks in a twisted dance in the air.  
  
"Jewel shards!" Kagome shouted out. Everyone quickly went into defensive stances, preparing for a fight. When the smoke and dust cleared, Kagome dropped her bow and arrows.  
  
"Koga-kun?"  
  
**End Chapter**

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[A/N]

Thanks again for all of your support. Please Read and Review. No flames please.


	9. Not Like This

[A/N]

Obviously, this hasn't been my week. For starters, has taken off my fanfic, LOVE LETTER because of unknown reasons. I think a par of it has to do with CF, that is why she's not with me today. That's also the reason why I was unable to update for an entire week, because the locked my account. In addition, she won't be making an appearance anymore on because of the stupid restrictions. She will be greatly missed. However, you can still catch me and CF on the other sites, so she's not completely gone.

**[Disclaimer]:** If I owned Inuyasha, then Sesshomaru would end up with Kagome, and Kikyo would be sentenced to oblivion, living underground with crazed mole people, with nothing to eat but worms and her own finger/toenails, and spends the majority of her free time smacking her head against cave walls! (pants) But sadly, I don't. Darn it!

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Forget-Me-Not

By: Youkai Yume

  
**Chapter 9: Not Like This**

Everyone eased their attack stances upon seeing the wolf prince, everyone except Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. Koga stood proudly in front of everyone, his normal cocky air about him. He shot a wide and slightly suggestive smile over to where Kagome was, and he chuckled when he heard a growl from Inuyasha.  
  
"I didn't expect to run into you guys today!"  
  
"What do you want, ya wimpy wolf?" Inuyasha demanded through clenched teeth. Koga only smirked.  
  
"I've only ever wanted one thing, and that's Kagome!" With that said, he walked over to where she stood and took her hand to his lips for a kiss. Kagome blushed in embarrassment and tried to pull her hand away from his grasp.  
  
"Koga-kun, please!" But no matter how hard she pulled his grip on her tightened.  
  
"Koi, you don't have to be so shy!" Koga kept insisting. Inuyasha was practically flaring red in the background, ready to shred the wolf youkai into a million pieces. Sesshomaru was nearly there himself.  
  
In that one moment, never before had he felt his blood boil like that! 'Koi?!' He could feel instant anger and hatred surge through his veins for the wolf prince. 'How dare he touch Kagome!' Sesshomaru was surprised at his sudden feeling of possessiveness over the miko, and tried everything in his power to suppress the growl that threatened to pass his throat. But he failed to do so when he saw Koga proceed to putting his arms around her waist.  
  
Koga was slightly surprised when he heard the growl, seeing as it didn't come from Inuyasha. He looked past Kagome's shoulder to see the agitated taiyoukai standing there.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama!" He instantly let go of Kagome and stepped a bit closer to the demon lord. "What are you doing here? I never expected YOU to be socializing with the mutt over there! Don't you have your lands to attend to?" Sesshomaru calmed down a bit, but never stopped glaring Koga though.  
  
"My reasons for being here are my own, and does not concern you. However, I should be asking you that same question," he answered rather sharply. Kagome looked with keen interest from one demon to the other. 'They know each other?'  
  
"Actually, I was just passing through when I sensed Kagome nearby," he said casually, forgetting the fuming Inuyasha. He inched closer to Kagome, who inched farther away in response. Sesshomaru glared at this.  
  
"Oh? And what business do you have with the miko?" Koga broke into his cocky grin and didn't hesitate to crush Kagome's body next to his.  
  
"To make her my mate of course!" Sesshomaru clenched his fist at how close he was holding Kagome, 'He has no right!' He was on the verge of tearing Kagome away from him, but Inuyasha seemingly beat him to it.  
  
"No you don't!" Within a flash Inuyasha had jerked Kagome from Koga's embrace and held her tightly to his own body possessively. "She ain't going nowhere! And she sure as hell ain't gonna be your mate!"  
  
Kagome sighed in relief against Inuyasha's chest. Sesshomaru for once was satisfied with Inuyasha for keeping Kagome away from Koga for once, but still was rather displeased that now instead of Koga holding her like he owned her, it was Inuyasha.  
  
The wolf prince was now beginning to bare his fangs at the hanyou.  
  
"Keep your hands off my woman, mutt face!" He spat, anger evident in his eyes now.  
  
"She ain't your woman!"  
  
"She will be once I claim her!"  
  
"You'll have to go through me!" The two were staring daggers at each other now, 'If only looks could kill,' they were both thinking. Sango, Miroku, and Shippo were all sighing in annoyance, like this kind of thing always happened. Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at them before turning back to the two bickering youkais. Well, one youkai and one hanyou.  
  
Kagome looked extremely distressed.  
  
"Fine then! If that's how you want it, I'll fight you for her!" Koga cracked his knuckles, and growled menacingly. Inuyasha only smirked, pushing Kagome in back of him protectively.  
  
"It's your funeral, bastard! Kagome! Get back!" He snapped.  
  
"Hey, wait! Don't I get a say in this?" Kagome frantically tried to hold Inuyasha back from fighting. He pushed her back, sending her stumbling backwards right into Sesshomaru, who caught her before she landed on her rear.  
  
She gave him a look that was both apologizing and grateful, before turning back to Inuyasha and Koga, who were both poised for battle. Sesshomaru steadied her back onto her feet, but did not let go of her shoulders however. Kagome didn't seem to notice though, for she was too caught up in the battle that has yet to commence.  
  
"Inuyasha! Koga! Stop it right now!" She cried out to them desperately.  
  
"Shut up, wench! And stay outta this!" Inuyasha yelled. Kagome winced at the harshness of his voice. He sounded like what he was doing wasn't for her, more like it was some kind of unpleasant chore. This didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru though, and he was slightly angered by the way Inuyasha treated her. Especially when she was so fond of him, though he knew she would never admit this fact.  
  
"Hey! Don't talk to my woman like that! Don't worry, Kagome, once I beat up this stupid mutt, you won't ever be treated like crap again!"  
  
"None of you are listening to me!" Kagome burst out in frustration as Koga and Inuyasha began to finally do battle. Koga started off with his wolf kick, sending wind and dust along with his attack, which blinded Inuyasha for a while.  
  
"Kaze no Kizu!" He swiped deadly blades at the wolf, clearing the smoke in the process also. Koga quickly dodged the attack, well most of it anyway. One of Inuyasha's blades cut a gash on the side of his arm. He growled, clutching his arm and giving Inuyasha a look of pure hatred before lunging in for another attack, this time with his wolf wind.  
  
"Please, stop! This is stupid!" Kagome yelled out to them. She tried to struggle out of Sesshomaru's grasp to stop the fight, but he held her tighter still. He knew full well that if she were to get involved, she could possibly get hurt, or worse. Sesshomaru didn't want to think about the consequences of such a foolish act, and over worthless whelps like them!  
  
'What am I thinking? Do I really care for the safety of this human?' Despite his conflicting thoughts, he still held onto her.  
  
Inuyasha was down now, scratches and bruises visible from Koga's blow. 'He got faster, and stronger, and it's not the jewel shards!' he stood up, ready to give his next attack. He reached his clawed hands to a wound that was near his chest, and swiftly thrust out his "Blades of Blood" straight at Koga. Perfect hit, the proud wolf demon fell, wincing in pain.  
  
Kagome struggled still against Sesshomaru. He was becoming rather irritated with it.  
  
"Foolish woman, do you want to get hurt?" He bit out sharply at her.  
  
"Please, I have to stop them! This is senseless!" She gave him a pleading look. Rin cautiously approached Kagome, careful to keep a good distance from the battle before tugging on her onnechan's sleeve.  
  
"Kagome-neesan?" Kagome tore her eyes from Sesshomaru to gaze down at the girl. "Why are they fighting?" She asked, confused. Kagome sighed, and pulled her in for a hug.  
  
"Because they're stupid. I'm just sorry that you had to see it, especially since we're supposed to be having fun and playing right now. But Inuyasha's too stubborn. I wish I could do something," Kagome said sadly, glancing back over to where the battle still raged.  
  
Sesshomaru followed her gaze over to them as well. Yes, this was senseless and stupid. Not to mention degrading for Kagome. He could see perfectly well in her eyes that she felt powerless to stop them. That it was her fault that they were fighting now, and that they, unconsciously in they're fight, are treating her like some object or prize that can just be won. With no feelings or opinions to justify in the situation.  
  
It was disgusting, and especially shameful to noble youkai like THEM. And besides, Kagome obviously held no interest in the wolf prince anyway. Koga was now at Inuyasha's mercy, bruised and beaten by the hanyou, who obviously held nothing back. And I meant NOTHING!  
  
"Heh, this is it. I'm gonna get rid of you once and for all, so you'll come in between me and mine again!" Inuyasha unsheathed his Tetsusaiga, holding it just above Koga's head. The wolf youkai growled, refusing to whimper his defeat for the hanyou.  
  
"Any last words?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes darkened with a sense of victory and blood lust. The battle sure got his blood pumping, and not to mention he'd been wanting to slit the wimpy wolf's throat for some time now. Ever since he first put his filthy claws around HIS Kagome, to be exact.  
  
Koga closed his eyes, giving into his exhaustion.  
  
"Only that. . .I'm sorry. . .Kagome, I only wanted for us. . ." His voice was a whisper, but it was loud enough for Kagome to hear.  
  
"Inuyasha, that's enough!" Kagome shouted, on the brink of tears now. Inuyasha wouldn't take it THAT far, would he? But her pleas were only reached by deaf ears, whose reasoning had been clouded over by intense jealousy and rage. 'She's mine now,' was all he could think about. 'All mine!'  
  
"Say goodbye!" He swung the heavy blade down, ready to split skull when-  
  
"I believe she said ENOUGH!" Inuyasha felt clawed fingers wrap around his neck before throwing him full force to the ground. The impact had made him lose his grip on Tetsusaiga, which now lay several feet away from where he was.  
  
His eyes shot open only to gaze angrily at his half-brother.  
  
"Stay outta this, Sesshomaru!" He breathed, intense anger flaring. "This fight is between me, and that wimpy wolf!" Sesshomaru stared coolly down at Inuyasha, his eyes cold and harsh.  
  
"Stop it, you're acting like a brat. Actually, you've always acted like one, but I honestly expected you to have more dignity and control, dear little brother." He spat out each word like venomous poison, earning a deep growl from Inuyasha.  
  
"You're the last person I wanna hear about not killing, when you probably slaughter hundreds of innocent lives a day, just for your sick and twisted humor!" Inuyasha smirked when he saw his brother growled in displeasure at his response.  
  
"Silence, you insolent whelp! Can't you see that your actions are causing the one person you are fighting for pain?" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed in confusion, before suddenly realizing what he meant. His head immediately snapped over to Kagome, who had tears brimming in her eyes. Her head shook in a silent acknowledgement of disappointment.  
  
'She's disappointed in me, because I wouldn't listen. Even when she had asked me to stop.' He struggled to stand up, reaching out a hand to Kagome, as if wanting to wipe away her tears.  
  
"Kagome, I. . ." Sesshomaru turned from his brother to face the wolf prince, who found enough strength to stand upon his own feet.  
  
"Leave, and take what little honor you have left!" He spat. Koga only nodded, his eyes shadowed. Then he did what everyone found to be quite shocking, he smirked mischievously.  
  
"Not without what I came for in the first place!" And in one gust of the wind, he had grabbed Kagome with lightning speed and ran off into the thick forest. Overcome with rage, both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru took off after Koga, who although injured could still run quite fast.  
  
"Damn you, Sesshomaru, if you had just let me kill him, this wouldn't have happened! Kagome! Bring back Kagome ya fucking bastard!" Inuyasha yelled off to the tiny speck that was Koga.  
  
Sesshomaru gave off a feral growl. 'How dare he, HOW DARE HE?!' He had deceived them, deceived HIM! The Taiyoukai of the West! Took off with something that wasn't his! He could hear Kagome's protests in the distance, and his eyes grew blood red. 'When I get my hands on that wolf, I'll rip his throat out, and shred his body limb from limb!'

* * *

"Koga, let me go!" Kagome struggled against the stubborn youkai, who held her in what seemed to be a death grip. "Why are you doing this? We just spared your life! And this is how you repay us?!" Koga's eyes remained glued forward.  
  
"Because now, no one will be able to come in between us! It'll be just you and me, and we'll finally be mates!" Kagome began to panic. 'No! This is not what I had in mind when I wanted to be 'swept off my feet by prince charming!'' She began to struggle harder.  
  
"Why do you fight me, Kagome? Why, when you have everything to gain? I'll protect you! I'll love you! I'm willing to offer anything that stupid mutt face would never give to you in a million years!" He felt Kagome stop her resistance at this. He was right. The hanyou didn't love her. "All I've ever wanted was you, Kagome, so just give me a chance, will you?" His eyes shining with hope as he continued to run.  
  
"No."  
  
"What?" He was shocked, had she refused, after all that he said, and did to get her?  
  
"No, not like this Koga. LET ME GO!!!!" Koga had to resist from dropping her and covering his ears at her outburst.  
  
Just then, a huge white inu youkai descended upon them, blocking any further passages for the wolf prince and his captive. Kagome stared in a state of total awe at the huge dog. 'Wait, this youkai looks familiar. . .' Her eyes widened when she recognized the crescent moon.  
  
"Sesshomaru!" She cried out in relief. Koga growled, 'Damn!' The giant dog demon began to transform into a more humanoid form, until he was once again, the usual demon lord, in all his glory. Although, Kagome was a little frightened when she saw that his eyes were tainted blood red.  
  
'Oooh girl, he's mad!'  
  
"Koga, how dare you? Your behavior is unacceptable, especially for a Lord." He said coolly, although bitterness and anger were apparent in his voice. His eyes quicly swept over Kagome to see if she had any injuries.  
  
"Lord?!" Kagome stared dumbfounded at Koga. "You're a lord?! Since when?"  
  
Koga ignored her questions however, and instead kept his focus on Sesshomaru.  
  
"This doesn't concern you! What I do with Kagome is my business, she's my woman!" Sesshomaru frowned. His blood red eyes still filled with blood lust.  
  
"You have no claim to her!" He growled before taking a swipe at the wolf youkai with his poison dripping claws. In his haste to get away, Koga dropped Kagome, who for sure thought she was going to end up with a flat face, until she felt strong arms catch her.  
  
She looked up into the face of her rescuer, who was now holding her tightly against his chest. Kagome saw murder in his eyes, he wanted to kill Koga, to finish what Inuyasha had started. 'Yup! He's really pissed!'  
  
"Inuyasha was right about killing you, there is no place for someone in this world who has no honor!" He raised his hand to strike, but was stopped short, when small hands held him back. He looked down at Kagome, the red seeping away from his eyes.  
  
"Please, Sessho-kun," she said gently, yet pleadingly, "he doesn't deserve this, he just didn't understand." He blinked down at her, not believing what she had just asked of him.  
  
"You would let him live, after all that he did to you?" She nodded.  
  
"Yes, I forgive him." Kagome turned to Koga. "I forgive you, Koga-kun. Please try to understand that I just don't feel that way about you! Gomen!" Koga held his head. He didn't want to believe it, he didn't.  
  
"I give you final warning, leave! Before I change my mind and relieve you of your lands, and your life!" Sesshomaru refrained from ripping the wolf to shreds like he had intended earlier.  
  
"I'll win you over someday, Kagome! Just wait!" And with that, he took off back to his domain. Even a stubborn youkai like him knew when to throw in the towel. Inuyasha was one thing, but Sesshomaru was a whole different story.

* * *

"You came to save me," Kagome said rather shyly to the taiyoukai, who scoffed in response.  
  
"I didn't come to save you, I came to teach that wolf whelp a lesson," he answered coldly.  
  
"Oh," she was rather disappointed to hear that. But hey, for one brief moment, he was her knight in shining armor. 'Geez I sound just like some schoolgirl!'  
  
Sesshomaru tried to ignore the sadness that he heard in her voice, and instead tried to keep his attention on where they were going, for now he was carrying her bridal style all the way back to camp. She was surprisingly light, and he quite enjoyed the feeling off her in his arms. He mentally shook himself. 'The only thing that she is right now, is troublesome!'  
  
"Sesshomaru," she started. He grunted to show that he was listening. "I thought I heard Inuyasha come with you when Koga took off with me," silence. She proceeded with her question. "So, where is he?"  
  
For the first time, Kagome saw what was a smile trying to tug at his lips, but his face remained stoic.  
  
"He was unable to keep up, I believe he was cursing about the wolf prince taking advantage of the jewel shards, so I went ahead without him, since I am faster." He answered her calmly, his voice holding a bit of amusement in them.  
  
He looked down at the miko, who didn't stay up long enough for his answer. Instead, she had fallen asleep, her head resting upon his left shoulder. 'She looks so peaceful,' the thought fluttered across his mind. He was silently glad that Koga was gone, he vaguely remembered how his blood boiled when he put his hands all over Kagome. 'Was that, jealousy?' Whatever it was, he didn't like it.  
  
He lost all train of thought however, when her hand reached up unconsciously in her sleep to pet his tail. He purred instinctively, and try as he might, he couldn't stop.  
  
'Yes, she is rather troublesome.'  
  
**End Chapter**

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[A/N] **

Again, I implore you all to check out my profile and help me get rid of the one who has stolen my work. Another note, I am well aware of the fact that Koga is commonly spelled with a "u" but I prefer to spell it this way.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW! No flames please!


	10. Why Should I Care?

**[A/N]**

Okay, I feel extremely stupid. I apologize, but for the past couple of months, you may realize that those who read anonymously can't review. IT'S MY FAULT! I forgot to fix the checkbox to allow anonymous reviewers! Ugh! I knew there was a reason why I had such a lack of response....So sorry. (sob)  
  
**[Disclaimer]:** I own nothing except for my sanity, and even that is slowly slipping away. . .

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**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 10: Why Should I Care?**

  
  
She felt warm, even with the cool wind brushing against her pale, creamy skin. It felt so pleasant, and Kagome swore she was floating. Well, more like flying. Her eyes gently cracked open, only to see an endless ocean of stars in a midnight blue sea.  
  
A gasp of surprise escaped her delicate lips, as she took in her surroundings. Yes, she was flying, but on what? Kagome felt something fluffy and silky soft beneath her, almost like a cloud. Was she riding on a cloud? Whatever it was, sure felt nice! She began to stroke the fine material, and was slightly surprised when she heard a rumbling sound coming from it. Actually, it was more of a purr.  
  
'Purr?!' Kagome's eyes widened when she realized she wasn't riding on a cloud at all! It was a giant white dog, and she had been running her hands through its' fur! She quickly withdrew her hands, but stopped when she heard whimpers of protest coming from it.  
  
Cautiously, she placed her hand on its' fine silver mane again, and began petting it like she had before. A small smile graced her lips when it purred in contentment again.  
  
"You like that?" She asked it in a rather fond tone. Kagome saw its' head give a slight nod, and she continued petting it. She didn't get a chance to see it's face yet, for it kept its' eyes straight ahead, not bothering to look back at her. She didn't really care anyway, because she was too occupied with the scenery at the moment.  
  
Kagome had never realized how everything looked so beautiful from above, and as she and the giant silver dog continued to hop from cloud to cloud, she found herself mesmerized by the night. She squealed in delight when the dog leaped higher into the sky. Her tiny hands clutched onto its massive mane, burying her face into the soft fur.  
  
"Higher!" She found herself saying to it, and it complied to her wishes. The silver dog leaped higher into the night, as if wanting to reach all the way up to the moon. It seemed like they were going to do it too, for with each leap, they were closer to the giant orb. Kagome herself found that she was reaching out her hands expectantly to touch the moon's surface.  
  
But in doing so, she had let go of the dog, and she found herself falling off of it. Everything happened so quickly, and yet at the same time in slow motion, as she felt her body plummeting to the earth. Her hand was still outstretched at the moon, though it seems impossible to touch it now.  
  
She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the cold hard ground, but it never came. She opened her sapphire eyes slowly, and sighed in relief to find that she was floating slowly down to earth. Kagome could feel something breathing down her neck, and wasn't surprised to find that the silver dog was holding her by the scruff of her sailor shirt.  
  
As soon as her feet touched the ground, she whirled around to hug the giant dog's long face. She stroked and petted its' head, occasionally scratching it's ears as it continued to purr from her touch. Kagome felt it's warm tongue lick her hand in affection, and she giggled from the contact.  
  
"Arigato," she whispered to it before withdrawing a bit to kiss the crescent moon on its' furry forehead. 'Wait a minute. . .' She took several steps back away from it to get a full view of its' magnificent form.  
  
"Sesshomaru?"

* * *

The demon lord watched with sparked curiosity as the young miko in his arms snuggled even closer into his fluffy tail. She was still petting him subconsciously, and he was still, much to his own frustration, purring in contentment.  
  
Sesshomaru held his breath when he heard her whisper his name fondly in her sleep. 'Is she dreaming of me?' he silently wondered. He couldn't help but feel a strange rush of warmth rising in his chest at the thought, but just as quickly as it came, he squashed the invading emotion. 'If she is dreaming of me, I hope that it is in a nightmare,' but the thought didn't bring the comfort that he had hoped.  
  
The sudden thought of her fearing him was somehow. . .unbearable. He shook the absurd thought out of his head. He, Sesshomaru, should always be feared, by everyone. He looked down at Kagome, who had a look of pure contentment on her peaceful face. 'But she has never feared me, never flinched at my presence. I should be upset that she does not acknowledge me as a superior, but as an equal, and yet, I'm not. . .'  
  
Sesshomaru tried to force himself to be angry at her. For being so weak as to be kidnapped by the wolf prince, and yet strong enough to render THE Sesshomaru into a state of confusion.  
  
His mind wandered to Koga once more. Why had he reacted like he had? He couldn't understand why his blood boiled like it did, why his claws ached to spill blood at the sight of him wrapping his arms around Kagome. It was illogical, this feeling of possessiveness, of rage, and over what? This miko? This woman-child? This HUMAN?  
  
Sesshomaru scowled at the continuing thoughts. What had happened to the cold emotionless demon lord that he used to be? The one that humans and demons alike cowered at his feet? 'No! I have not changed. And I WILL not be changed. Certainly not by a mere human girl.'  
  
He cut off all train of thought there, as he was quickly approaching camp.

* * *

"Damnit! Where are they?!" Inuyasha paced impatiently back and forth, waiting for his brother and Kagome to return. They had been chasing after Koga together, but after realizing that he could not catch up to Koga with his current speed and injuries, Sesshomaru had took off without him. Although silently cursing that he let someone like Sesshomaru rescue Kagome, he found that it was useless to keep following, so he grudgingly returned to camp, where Sango, Miroku, and Shippo all badgered him with questions of Kagome right after.  
  
"If anything's happened to Kagome, I'll. . ."  
  
"You'll do what? Dear brother?" Everyone's heads whipped around upon hearing the familiar emotionless voice. Sesshomaru had just emerged from the trees, carrying the still slumbering Kagome.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama!" An overly ecstatic Rin ran to hug the taiyoukai. "You brought back Kagome-neesan!"  
  
"S'bout time, too!" Sesshomaru tore his eyes away from his ward to glare at his half-brother. Inuyasha was stomping towards them, eyes running over Kagome's unconscious form and then back to Sesshomaru's eyes. "What did you do to her?" he asked through gritted teeth. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed at the ungrateful hanyou.  
  
"Calm down, whelp! I saved her, and now she is merely sleeping. You should do well to thank me for saving your mate," He countered, almost spitting out the words when he came to the "mate" part. Even though he did not smell his mark upon her, he knew Inuyasha considered her his, seeing as how he showed obvious signs of feelings. What sickened even more was the fact that he knew that Kagome. . .Kagome would've wanted nothing more than to be his.  
  
'But why should I care?' If Inuyasha wanted her, then by all means let him take her! He, Sesshomaru could care less, right?  
  
"We are NOT mates!" Inuyasha yelled out, his face blushing furiously. He quickly looked away, trying to hide his beet red face from the taiyoukai.  
  
Sesshomaru was about to counter with a witty remark, when he heard Kagome moan and stir slightly awake. Her eyes opened dazedly to the world around her, and she blinked to clear her vision. Kagome yawned and rubbed her eyes.  
  
"What's all the racket?" She grumbled sleepily.  
  
"Kagome-neesan!" Rin hugged her tightly as soon as Sesshomaru set her down. Although she was still a bit groggy, she managed to return the affection. Kagome lifted her eyes a bit, only to be locked under Inuyasha's intense gaze.  
  
She gently pried Rin from herself, and cautiously approached the hanyou. Sesshomaru watched intently as the two drew nearer to each other. Inuyasha only stared at her, his eyes a bit softer from before, and guilt was plainly visible on them.  
  
"Kagome, are you hurt?" He asked her. Kagome only shook her head no, blushing at the concern that he displayed for her. This didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru, and he suddenly felt the blood-boiling sensation again.  
  
"I just, Kagome, I. . ." Inuyasha stumbled on his words, not fully wanting to apologize for his actions, even if they were for her. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew he had hurt Kagome emotionally by ignoring her pleas.  
  
But he was interrupted by her finger pressed firmly yet gently upon his lips. He looked confusedly into her sapphire orbs, trying to draw an answer from them, and only saw forgiveness. Inuyasha felt a heavy burden lift from his shoulders.  
  
"I know," was all she said, smiling sweetly up at him.  
  
Sango and Miroku sighed, happy that Kagome was able to forgive anyone so easily. As they went over to Kagome, a ball of red fluff flew pass them to latch himself onto his "momma." As everyone clamored and fussed over Kagome, no one noticed a particular demon lord who withdrew from the happy circle of friends. Instead, he stood there silently from afar, still glaring with unexplained anger over at the miko and her hanyou.

* * *

"Stay still! I need to put medicine on it!"  
  
"No way! That thing friggin' stings!" Kagome struggled with a stubborn Inuyasha, who refused to let her put medicinal herbs on his wounds from his battle with Koga. It was night now, and everyone was gathered around the fire, ramen bowls in hand.  
  
"Well, I wouldn't have to patch you up if you had just listened to me, and not fight Koga in the first place!" She yelled back. Inuyasha flattened his ears against his head. From her high-pitched voice or the guilt she burdened on him again, he wasn't sure.  
  
"I thought you forgave me," he said rather sulkily under his breath. Kagome's anger softened at this, and she was a little more gentle with her treatment.  
  
"I have, but sometimes, I feel like you only apologize to me so you don't feel guilty anymore. Do you even learn your lessons? Because, the next thing I know, you go and do the same thing that you just apologized for again."  
  
Inuyasha listened intently at what she said. Did he really do that? Betray Kagome's trust over and over again? Was that how he made her feel? And was that how she really thought him as-a promise-breaking inconsiderate brat? His heart wrenched at the next thought that ran across his mind. 'And yet, she would still forgive me, trust me, and care for me. And I. . .I always take her for granted.'  
  
He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt her head rest against his bare back.  
  
"Just don't do it again, 'kay Inu-chan?" Kagome whispered just loud enough for him to hear. At hearing this, Inuyasha quickly spun around to pull her into a tight embrace, not thinking nor caring about what he had just done.  
  
"Gomen, Kagome, for hurting you." He held onto her tightly, and Kagome, although shocked, slowly returned the embrace.  
  
"I told you before, I already forgave you. So go and eat your ramen now!" She said playfully at him, hoping to hide the blush that now stained her cheeks.

* * *

Sesshomaru watched from the corner of his eye in disgust at the warm moment that Kagome and Inuyasha shared. He shouldn't care about them, or their relationship with one another. Heck, he DIDN'T care! So, why does his blood still boiling? Why did he feel envious at the sight of them? For the first time, he, Sesshomaru, was not envious of his hanyou brother because of Tetsusaiga, but because of his miko.  
  
He turned his head to fully gaze over to where Kagome was sitting, chatting happily with the demon exterminator and kitsune pup. She seemed to glow in the moonlight, basking everyone in the warmth of her smile. In that one brief moment, he was filled with unexplainable longing, and want.  
  
'What do I want?' He found himself asking. It certainly couldn't be HER. That much he knew for sure. He gazed down at the little girl that was sitting on his lap, slurping up her ramen. Perhaps it was just attention that he wanted. Attention that he was deprived of when his mother passed, and now has been given a taste of by none other than the miko.  
  
Sesshomaru shook his head in frustration. He needed no such childish desires. It was just simply absurd. His golden eyes fixed onto the roaring flame, and he became so engrossed in it, that he had not noticed the object of his frustration approach.  
  
"Ano. . .Sessho-kun?" He looked up at Kagome, who held a bowl of ramen in each hand.  
  
"What?" He asked coldly. She shifted uncomfortably on her spot before extending a bowl towards him.  
  
"I thought that you would be hungry," Sesshomaru eyed the bowl before taking it from her wordlessly. Her face broke into a smile, and she plopped down next to him, eating from the bowl that she held in her other hand.  
  
Rin giggled happily, crawling from Sesshomaru's lap onto Kagome's when she saw her sit down. Kagome patted her head affectionately, and continued to eat. They stayed like that for a while, until Rin fell asleep on Kagome's lap, empty bowl still clutched in her hand. She cradled the little girl, and kissed her forehead before turning back to the taiyoukai who was watching her from the corner of his golden eye.  
  
"Thank You, Sessho-kun," she said rather shyly, "for saving me, again." Sesshomaru looked coolly down at her.  
  
"Someone had to do it, and it was obvious that the hanyou lacked the ability to do so," he responded in his usual cold façade.  
  
"Not just for that. . ." Kagome blushed, remembering the dream of her midnight flight with the silver dog that turned out to be Sesshomaru in the end. He raised a curious eyebrow at her.  
  
"Then, what else for?" He asked when he saw flushed cheeks at the topic. Kagome waved her hands objectively at him.  
  
"Forget it! It was just something stupid!" With that, she handed the sleeping Rin over to Sesshomaru, gathered the empty bowls, and stood up to prepare for the night. Sesshomaru was slightly upset at her for dismissing him like that, but was more disappointed than upset for her lack of an answer. But he waved the notion from his head.  
  
'Why should I care?'  
  
**End Chapter**

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**[A/N]**

Okay, Now that that's over with...Your blundering authoress would like to ask for your gracious time to READ AND REVIEW! I've fixed the no anonymous reviews (finally, can't believe I missed it, I feel so stupid, please forgive me all unsigned in readers) No flames please.


	11. Then Trust Me

**[A/N]**

Sorry for the wait. here's the next chapter, and again, for those of you who have never read this fic, you can find the completed version on my other sites that I post (thirty four chapters in all) Please see my profile to go to the links to the completed version. Thank you all for your kind reviews.

**[Disclaimer]: **Really, you all are smart. And if you're not, go back to the first disclaimer.

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**Forget-Me-Not  
By: Youkai Yume**

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**Chapter 11: Then Trust Me**

He was panting, hard. His body shook with the after affects that the dream had left him with. Sesshomaru ran his clawed fingers through his silver mane. Visions of a certain miko flooded his senses, remembering down to the tiniest detail the curves of her body, the warmth of her touch, and the moans of her pleasure.  
  
Steadily, he leaned back on the tree, half closed eyes gazing over to the object of his lustful fantasies. He felt like growling at her, silently cursing her for awakening such unwanted desires within himself. Again he had dreamed of her, of claiming her as his. Sure, he had dreamed of her many times before, sometimes just talking with one another, or just in each other's company. But recently they have grown more. . .intimate.  
  
Sesshomaru let out a sigh, his eyes continuing to sweep over her slumbering form. He did not understand why he no longer felt revulsion towards the fact that he thought of Kagome that way, but rather, craved for it. Craved to touch and feel her like he could only do in the darkest recesses of his dreams, the most passionate of his desires.  
  
It was inconceivable, not only because she was a human, but because he had never given into the need for flesh before. He had never lusted or wanted any demoness, let alone a woman-child! He had learned to control and suppress such emotions and animalistic desires long ago. So, why is he starting now?  
  
Sesshomaru himself had always restrained from taking in a mate unless it was the right one, for when inu-youkais mate, they mated for life. It was something that his father had been unfaithful to uphold, and Sesshomaru promised himself to never break such a sacred vow.  
  
Kagome turned slightly in her sleep, her lips curving into a content smile. 'She must be dreaming something pleasant,' he mused, his mind not allowing the thought that signified any possible hope that she was dreaming of him as well. Sesshomaru mentally shook himself. It's not like he cared, and even if she was dreaming, it was most likely about Inuyasha.  
  
Sesshomaru suddenly felt a rush of anger and jealousy course throughout his being upon recalling the tender moment that transpired between his half- brother and Kagome earlier that evening. He shouldn't feel this way, so why? Why was he feeling this way? He saw Kagome shift slightly in her sleep and muttered something under her breath.  
  
"Fluffy. . ." he heard her moan softly. 'Fluffy?' He thought curiously. What WAS she dreaming about? His eyes softened a bit when he saw her smile sweetly in her sleep. Still unable to explain as to why he felt so warm and content when catching glimpse of her smile, he went back to his earlier thoughts of finding the perfect mate.  
  
'Could she be the one?' He scoffed to himself, dismissing the whole idea altogether to regain sleep. 'Impossible.'

* * *

  
  
It was still dark, and if it weren't for the slightly pink tinted sky on the horizon, it could've been night. Kagome glanced around the camp, and was pleased to see everyone still sleeping-especially Inuyasha. She pulled the covers a little closer to her body when her skin made contact with the chilly morning air. She shivered lightly, not really wanting to get up.  
  
Her sapphire eyes wandered around to the demon lord that slept nearby. Kagome couldn't help but blush at the memory of her recent dreams of him. In fact she had just awoken from one, and in it she was once again flying the midnight sky with him in his inu-youkai form.  
  
He was just so. . .fluffy! Kagome suppressed a giggle when she thought this. 'Well, he is!' she convinced herself, remembering how she petted his tail and fur, feeling the delightful texture beneath her fingers. She sighed. She didn't understand why she was dreaming of Sesshomaru though, could it possibly mean anything?  
  
What really irked her was how much she enjoyed it! It was unexplainable, the feeling that came to her when she was with him in the dream. She remembered being at peace and warm, but most of all. . .happy? She sighed again. 'Oh well, a dream's just dream.'  
  
Coming out of her reverie, she focused back on the main reason why she gotten up so early. 'That's right, I wanted to go back home and get more supplies!' She wanted to avoid all of the usual arguments with Inuyasha whenever she decided to leave for home, and thought that this was the best solution. She wanted to leave before the sun got up along with Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome carefully stepped out of her sleeping bag and tiptoed over to where her large yellow backpack was. She slowly opened it and pulled out a piece of paper and pen. She glanced nervously over to where the hanyou took his usual perch, and returned back to the note. After scribbling a short letter explaining where she went, she took out an arrow, quietly pinned it to a nearby tree and gathered up her things.  
  
Kagome tiptoed past everyone, moving with the utmost stealth in hopes of not waking Inuyasha or anyone else for the matter-at least until she was out of camp. She silently congratulated herself for doing a job well done, and as soon as she was sure she was out of earshot, she let out a sigh of relief and walked with a lighter step towards the well.  
  
Well, maybe she shouldn't have congratulated herself quite yet, for she failed to notice a pair of golden eyes following her in the distance.

* * *

From the treetops he followed the young miko deep into the woods. Sesshomaru's golden eyes focused on her. Where was she going? And more importantly, why was he following? Indeed, he had been awoken in the early morning from his barely regained slumber when his sharp senses caught the sound of rustling nearby.  
  
When he had opened his eyes, he was surprised to see Kagome up and about. She was gathering her things and carefully snuck into the forest, leaving a letter pinned on the tree that she had slept under. Then, she proceeded to sneak out of camp and into the woods.  
  
Unable to restrain his curiosity, he decided to investigate the matter further. Where would she go at such an early hour? He moved to read the letter, not making a sound as he walked across the area. Sesshomaru's eyes skimmed over her letter, quietly impressed that she could write so well. At least he knew she was educated.  
  
'Home,' he read. So, she was returning back to her village, he concluded. He couldn't help but follow her, he had always wondered where she came from. Afterall, only she wore that type of kimono that he knew of.  
  
And so it is now that he continued to follow her deeper into the forest, hidden in the safety of the shadows. Sesshomaru watched her every move, his golden eyes intense as she suddenly stopped into a clearing with a well situated in the middle.  
  
'There is no village here,' he thought. His eyes remained fixed on her however, as she proceeded to go over to where the well was, and sat on the rim. 'What is she doing?' Unable to stand the confusion any longer, he decided now was the time to reveal himself to her.  
  
Kagome had just swung her legs over the rim of the well, ready to jump in when she felt someone grab her arm. Her head whirled around in surprise and panic, her eyes catching a glimpse of silver and gold before she jumped into the well.  
  
"Sesshomaru?!" She asked, startled to see him, and for a moment, Sesshomaru looked startled too, as she realized their arms were still linked, and she was dragging the demon lord down into the magical gateway with her! Blue magic soon surrounded them, and Kagome's mind raced as she felt Sesshomaru press close to her own body while the scenery flew past them.  
  
She only remembered him holding her close before losing consciousness altogether, fading into the dark blue waves with Sesshomaru.

* * *

Sakura blossoms and jasmine. The scent surrounded him, teasing his sensitive nose with the intoxicating smell. His head was swimming and was becoming lightheaded by it. He was oddly comfortable too, lying on something soft, yet firm. He could also feel the heat and warmth from it, seeping into his own body.  
  
There was only one person he knew who could possess such a heavenly smell, and his eyes snapped open upon his realization of that simple fact.  
  
"Kagome," he barely whispered to the unconscious girl. Sesshomaru blinked. He was lying on top of her! Strangely, he didn't want to move away, and rather liked feeling her beneath him. Sudden flashes of his recent erotic dreams flashed through his mind, resurfacing the passion that came along with it.  
  
Instinctively, he buried his nose into her hair to inhale more of the intoxicating scent. Gods, how he loved her scent, no matter how much he might deny that fact to save face. Sesshomaru almost groaned when he felt her shift underneath him, and felt himself getting slightly aroused at this. She was awakening; he had to stop this. . .need, now!  
  
"Mmmmm. . .Sesshomaru. . .?" She moaned as her eyes fluttered open. She gasped when golden eyes met with her sapphire ones, they're faces were inches apart! A blush soon stained her cheeks when she noticed something else. He was lying on top of her! He must've fallen on her when they went through the well! It kind of felt nice. . . 'Bad Kagome, Bad!'  
  
Despite this, they remained in that awkward position for a while, staring into each other's eyes. Kagome searched his golden depths for any sign of emotion, and to her surprise saw some flicker across his orbs. She saw confusion and slight anger, but there was something else that mostly clouded over his eyes, darkening his gaze into a trance. 'Is it lust?'  
  
"Ano. . .Sessho-kun. . ." Kagome started, breaking the moment. "Do you mind getting off of me?" Sesshomaru blinked, coming back into the real world at Kagome's voice. The darkened cloud in his eyes quickly disappeared, as he slowly moved to get off of the miko. If she hadn't known any better, it seemed like he almost regretted doing so.  
  
Once they were both up, Kagome dusted off any dirt on her uniform while Sesshomaru took in his surroundings. 'That's right, she pulled me down into the well.' His neck craned to look up, expecting to see the clear blue sky, but was surprised that instead there was a roof. 'What the'  
  
Kagome felt him yank her arm suddenly, and looked up confusedly at him.  
  
"Where are we?" He demanded, tightening his grip on her. He felt her wince at his harsh tone of voice and softened a bit, easing his grip his hand had on her. Sesshomaru awaited her response as she shifted uncomfortably.  
  
"Well, we're in the future. . ." she answered awkwardly. 'Geez that must not make any sense,' she thought, and looked up at the demon lord to see his reaction.  
  
"The future?" He searched her sapphire depths. "You mean to tell me, your home is in the future?" He inquired her curiously, though his voice remained emotionless. Kagome's mind suddenly clicked.  
  
'Omigosh! I accidently brought SESSHOMARU home with me! HERE! In MODERN DAY Japan!' Her mind suddenly raced with all sorts of thoughts and conclusions. 'What if he goes and kills someone? Gods! All we have here are humans! He HATES humans! What'll my family say? Oh No! MY FAMILY! I'm too young to be an orphan!'  
  
As Kagome went on with her panicking thoughts, Sesshomaru watched slightly amused at the display of emotions that played across her face. But at the same time, he was getting impatient. She had yet to answer his question. He tugged lightly on her arm to bring her attention back to him.  
  
"Well?" She gulped.  
  
"H-Hai, I do live in the future. Five hundred years to be exact." She answered shakily, her voice had a hint of fearfulness. She looked down at her feet. Sesshomaru was, for some reason, displeased when he sensed her fear. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her face up so their eyes could meet.  
  
"Why are you afraid?" He asked her gently, almost trying to calm her. He was slightly hurt when she looked away from him, avoiding his gaze. Hurt? Why was he hurt? He stopped all thought there as he heard her voice.  
  
"It's just that, here in my time, only humans exist in this world," Kagome explained. Sesshomaru processed this information. Only humans? That can't be right.  
  
"You are lying, what about youkai? Surely there must be youkai."  
  
"Ano. . .I'm not sure. There may be youkai still alive, but most likely they're in hiding or have been wiped out long ago." Kagome winced when she felt his grip on her arm tighten painfully. She knew he wouldn't like the answer.  
  
"I see," he said slowly, not truly believing it. How could youkai, who have once struck fear and roamed the lands, ruling over worthless humans, possibly be extinct? His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Kagome whimper a bit. Sesshomaru realized that he had dug painfully into her arm, and immediately released her. He felt a pang of guilt as he watched her rub the spot where his hand had been.  
  
"But that is not the reason why you suddenly fear me," he said to her. Kagome froze.  
  
"No, it isn't." She admitted.  
  
"Then what?" Sesshomaru suddenly felt the urge to erase any fear she had of him, he wanted her to be comfortable around his presence. He didn't understand it, nor did he care at the moment.  
  
"My family," Kagome answered slowly looking up to lock eyes with the demon lord once more. To her surprise, she saw his eyes soften with understanding. She sighed in relief. But still, she couldn't have him here, there was still the problem that, well, he might not be ready for her time.  
  
"Sessho-kun, I think it's best if I brought you back to the feudal era," she moved to do just that when she felt him grab her wrist. She turned to look confusedly at him. Sesshomaru only shook his head at her.  
  
"No, I want to see your world," he said firmly, although it sounded more like a hopeful request. He was curious to find out more about the place that Kagome came from, and he'll be damned before he'd be denied the opportunity. But he also wanted to be here with Kagome's consent. He saw reluctance flash across her eyes, the previous feeling of fear marred her scent again.  
  
"I promise I won't bring harm to your family, or anyone else for that matter while I am here," Sesshomaru still held onto her hand, hoping that she'd be convinced. He himself didn't want to hurt her in any way, though gods help him why, but he didn't. His heart fell when she did not move.  
  
"I don't know. . ." Kagome started, but she felt his hand slip from her wrist, sliding down to rest on the back of her hand.  
  
"Kagome," She gasped when she heard him utter her name. It wasn't because she had never heard him use it before, but because it was rare. And for some reason, it just felt good to hear it coming from his lips. Her attention was fully on him now.  
  
"You said before that we are friends, did you not?" Kagome looked down at their linked hands before answering.  
  
"Hai. I did," she admitted, looking back at him again.  
  
"Then trust me, I give you my word as the Taiyoukai of the West," He finished, still gazing at her intensely with his golden orbs. He suddenly felt warm with relief when she placed her other hand over his own.  
  
"No, give your word as a friend," Kagome gave him a warm smile, finally giving in. Sesshomaru fought a smile that threatened to grace his own lips, but this time, lost. He heard Kagome gasp in delight.  
  
"Sessho-kun! You smiled!" She teased. Immediately he wiped it from his face.  
  
"A momentary lapse, I assure you," he said indifferently. He was slightly angered when she continued to giggle, but that was quickly blown away as well when he heard her next comment.  
  
"You know, you should really smile more often, it suits you!" With having that said, Kagome began to climb out of the well using the ladder on the wall. Sesshomaru watched her as she made her way up. 'If I spend too much time with her, perhaps I WILL smile more often,' he thought rather annoyingly before jumping up, wrapping his arms around her waist, and pulling her along with himself out of the bone eater's well.  
  
**End Chapter**

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PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please! Oh, and you guessed it, Sesshy's going to be spending some time in Kagome's era! Lots of fluff ahead. Oh, And CF, my muse and chocolate fiend, misses you all greatly. 


	12. As Long As You're Near

**[A/N]**

Thank you for all of your reviews. To view the full complete version, visit one of my links to the other sites where my fics are posted. Contact me to get personal author alerts on the newest chapters.

**[Disclaimer]:** To say I own Inuyasha is like saying Kikyo is NOT a bitch! Yeah, it's kinda like that.

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**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

  
  
**Chapter 12: As Long As You're Near**

  
  
"WHAT?!" Several birds flew from their perches from the hanyou's outburst. He stared with rage down at the letter that is now tightly clutched in his hands. "How can she just leave without telling us?!"  
  
"Calm down, Inuyasha! Technically, Kagome DID tell us. See? It says so in the letter," Miroku pointed to the crumpled piece of paper Inuyasha held. He only threw a pissed look at the monk.  
  
"You know what I mean!" He spat. He looked angrily down at the letter again. Inuyasha felt very tempted to go and drag her back, but if she left early in the morning, it was clear that she didn't want him following her. But heck, she can't just do this! They had a mission! His thoughts were interrupted when the sound of a crying little girl could be heard.  
  
"Waaah! Where did Sesshomaru-sama go? Did Sesshomaru-sama leave Rin?" She wailed. Next to her, Jaken was covering his ears and complaining himself.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama, how could you leave your faithful retainer without any word?! And with this blasted human child!" Jaken glared at Rin, who was still crying. "Cease that horrible noise!" Surprisingly, Rin did just that and now sniffled slightly.  
  
"Rin misses Sesshomaru-sama," she muttered. Shippo came over and patted Rin on the back.  
  
"Don't worry, Rin! Wherever Sesshomaru-sama went, he'll come back to you!" He comforted. Rin only sniffled and nodded, smiling slightly at the little kitsune.  
  
Meanwhile, Inuyasha was watching the little girl with slight confusion. 'If Sesshomaru isn't here, then where is he? I know he's a bastard, but even he wouldn't abandon this little brat.' He sniffed the air for the slightest bit of Sesshomaru's scent.  
  
It was faint, but he could still smell him. Crouching down on all fours, he began sniffing the ground, following his brother's scent, which lead into the forest.  
  
"Inuyasha, what are you doing?" Sango asked the hanyou that was now sniffing frantically on the ground. Everyone was watching him with keen interest as well, Rin giggled and squealed,  
  
"Inuyasha-chan looks just like a cute little doggy-woggy!" He growled slightly when he heard this.  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm tracking down Sesshomaru!" He answered in an annoyed voice. Both Rin and Jaken perked up at the mention of the demon lord.  
  
"Sesshomaru-sama? Where?" Jaken was becoming impatient, and was about to tell Inuyasha to hurry it up. But he stopped when a feral grow was emitted from his throat.  
  
"If I knew that, I wouldn't be TRACKING HIM DOWN, now would I?" After that, everyone followed him in silence as he lead them deep into the forest. Pausing once in a while to sniff the air again.  
  
As they trudged on, Inuyasha didn't fail to recognize the familiar path they were following. 'But he couldn't have. . .' His fear steadily grew as he caught Kagome's scent as well. It was now that he began sprinting to his destination, leaving the others trailing behind.  
  
"Inuyasha! Where are you going?" Miroku called out to the hanyou, but he simply ignored him and continued running. All the while Inuyasha could only think of one thing-Please don't let him be with HER!  
  
He stopped abruptly in front of the bone-eater's well, where Kagome and Sesshomaru's scents lingered the strongest. Inuyasha cursed under his breath. The others soon caught up with him, panting and out of breath.  
  
"Why'd you bring us here? I thought you were looking for Sesshomaru, not Kagome!" Sango managed to say. Everyone awaited his answer, as his fist began to clench and unclench in anger.  
  
"He followed her." He said darkly. Everyone gasped.  
  
"You mean, Kagome's with Sesshomaru?! In HER time?!"  
  
"Not for long he won't be!" Inuyasha jumped down into the well without a second thought. As his body hurtled down into the dark walls, he expected to plunge into the pool of blue magic. To his surprise, he instead just landed at the bottom of the well. His head snapped up to look up to the opening of the well, expecting to see a roof. Blue skies.  
  
"It can't be!" He jumped out of the well, much to everyone's surprise, and jumped back in again. Nothing. "Damnit all! What's going on?!" He was becoming desperate now. 'There's no way I'm gonna leave Kagome all alone with that bastard!' He began digging into the well's dirt.  
  
"Kagome!"

* * *

"There!" Kagome said after pinning a sacred arrow with a spell scroll attached on the well's rim. She stepped back, standing by Sesshomaru's side. He glanced at her.  
  
"Tell me, what purpose does that serve?" She smiled at him, a mischievous gleam in her eyes flickered.  
  
"That's to ensure that Inuyasha doesn't come after me! Kaede taught me how to seal the well for a short period of time not too long ago!" Sesshomaru listened intently.  
  
"Inuyasha is able to pass through the well?"  
  
"Don't remind me! Every time I go home for a little break, he comes and drags me back!" The taiyoukai nodded. It was indeed a good idea to seal the portal for now. If what she said was true, then Inuyasha would've come to retrieve his miko already. Well, not before he was denied the chance of seeing the future. Which reminds him, he had yet to step out of the well house.  
  
"Are you going to show me your world, or continue to marvel at your little spell?" He watched as a light blush of embarrassment stained her cheeks. She was rather pretty when she blushed, he decided. There was no use denying that fact because it was true. Besides, it's not like he'll ever admit that aloud.  
  
"Um, right." Kagome turned to walk up the steps leading to the door of the well house, Sesshomaru right behind her. "Prepare yourself Sessho-kun," with that she pushed open the door, and the bright morning sun of her era poured through.  
  
Sesshomaru shielded his eyes from the sudden brightness, but what he really should've been doing was shielding his nose. His senses were suddenly flooded with so many different smells, sights and sounds, that it was a bit overwhelming, even for the demon lord.  
  
The air here was so much different than that of Feudal Japan! It wasn't fresh and clean, but instead, suffocating with the scent of so many things! Sweet, filthy, musty, there were too many to pinpoint! But that was nothing compared to the scent of humans, Hundreds of humans everywhere! He could sense them from even the farthest regions of the earth. He knew Kagome wasn't lying when she said there were only humans in her time, but he didn't expect so many!  
  
Sesshomaru's hand flew up to cover his nose, and growled in displeasure. Kagome glanced at him with a worried look. 'That's right, he's a youkai! His sense of smell is much stronger than hanyous and humans.' She placed a hand on his shoulder and he immediately calmed. His hand eased down a bit from his nose, and he looked at her with expectant golden eyes.  
  
"Gomen, Sessho-kun. I DID warn you. I know you don't like humans very much, especially the way we smell." She apologized, bowing her head slightly. But her eyes were soon brought back up to meet his own as he lifted her chin up.  
  
"I don't like the way THEY smell," he corrected her gently. He became basked in her warmth when he saw her smile at this, realizing what he meant.  
  
"Arigato, Sessho-kun. But if you don't like it here, I can always bring you back," she offered. Secretly, she was glad that he shook his head and refused.  
  
"I said I wanted to see your world, and I intend to do so. Besides, I can learn to tolerate it, as long as you're near. Your scent is the only one around here that is pleasant." He looked quickly at her when he realized that he had just let that slip. Another blush crept upon her cheeks.  
  
"For a human," he added at the last second. Sesshomaru suddenly felt a bit of guilt prick at his chest when he saw her face fault, and her lips form in a silent, disappointed "Oh." But he couldn't take it back. Afterall, he let didn't want her getting an idea that he enjoyed being around her. Or, did he? He didn't know anymore, all he knew was that he wanted her to forget about it. The truth is, he thought her scent WAS wonderful, and surpasses any demoness he ever met.  
  
Luckily for him, Kagome wasn't one to hold anything in for too long, and she shook the feeling of disappointment off rather quickly, and gave him a warm smile. He was surprised at her quick recovery, but was relieved nonetheless.  
  
"Whatever, let's go," She wove her arm around his own, and lead him into the house. All the while, Sesshomaru kept his eyes glued to their linked arms. It kind of felt, right. But he shook it off, it was just Kagome, nothing special. Besides, they were friends now, more or less, so it shouldn't feel too strange. Still, the warm feeling lingered in the back of his mind.

* * *

"Demon, Be Gone!" Kagome's grandfather wasted no time in busting out one of his demon warding sutras and plastering it on Sesshomaru's forehead as soon as he came in the room. "Kagome, get back! I'll protect you from it's evil clutches!" Kagome could only sweatdrop, but soon panicked when she heard a feral growl emit from Sesshomaru's throat. Just when her grandfather was about to stick 20 more sutras, Kagome ran to stop him.  
  
"No! Grandpa! It's okay! He's not evil! Put the sutra down!" Kagome held onto his arm until the old man eased his hand still tightly grasping the sutra.  
  
"He isn't?" Grandpa asked quizzically.  
  
"Indeed," Sesshomaru answered, rather annoyed as he peeled off the piece of paper that still stuck to his forehead. He eyed the old man curiously. Why was he wearing miko's clothing? People sure had a strange way of dressing in this era! Just then, a woman with short hair came into the room, along with a little boy who looks to be a little older than Rin.  
  
"What's all the racket, Grandpa? Oh! Kagome, you're home! And you brought company. . ." She trailed off when she spotted Sesshomaru, utterly amazed by him. Without thinking, she quickly approached the demon lord, who looked at her indifferently. Before he knew it, she was petting and tugging at his tail with extreme interest.  
  
"It's so soft! Is this real fur? What is it?"  
  
"Ooooh I wanna touch it next, Mom!" Sota piped excitedly. Kagome was suddenly overcome with a sense of déjà vu. Wasn't this exactly how things went when Inuyasha first came?  
  
Sesshomaru was rather surprised at their forwardness. Did they not know who they were dealing with? He was getting rather annoyed by all of them, and was about to stop their pestering, when he caught Kagome's pleading eyes. It had a look that said, "Remember your promise, Sesshomaru!" He merely sighed and swatted their hands away.  
  
"THAT, is my tail," He bit out in his cold voice. Kagome's mother and Sota took that as their cue to stop, and backed away a couple of steps. Kagome sighed in relief, and straightened herself up again. Sesshomaru was staring at her with amused eyes.  
  
"Tell me, do you always greet guests in such a manner?" Kagome giggled at this. He watched her cheeks flush pink in her laughter.  
  
"Only the cute ones!" She joked back, earning a raised eyebrow from the demon lord. She smiled once more before turning back to her family.  
  
"Mom, Grandpa, Sota, This is my friend, Sesshomaru-sama. He's the Taiyoukai of the West in the Feudal Era," She announced. Sesshomaru couldn't help but feel pleased when she didn't hesitate to refer to him as a friend. She looked warmly at him with her sapphire orbs.  
  
"Sessho-kun, this is my family," she introduced politely. He nodded, and semi-bowed at them, as they did the same. He soon felt a little tug on the side of his kimono, and looked down to see the little boy name Sota at his sleeve.  
  
"Y'know, you look kinda like Inuyasha! Except cooler!" He said in an awed voice. Sesshomaru didn't quite understand what "cool" meant. Was he trying to say that Inuyasha wasn't as cold as he was? Whatever he meant, Sesshomaru didn't like being compared to his half-wit brother, and glared down at Sota. Kagome saw this, and quickly stepped in.  
  
"Don't worry, Sesshomaru, he's complimenting you! Cool is good!" She laughed nervously and turned to Sota. "And the reason that he looks like Inuyasha so much is because Sesshomaru is his half-brother, but they don't get along very much." Sota nodded in understanding.  
  
"Yeah, brothers and sisters can be annoying sometimes! I totally feel you, man!" Now, Kagome was the one to glare at him. She gave an edgy "Hmph!" and looked away, pouting. Sesshomaru felt himself easing a bit. This Sota wasn't so bad, and certainly wise beyond his years.  
  
However, the old man and boy were quickly shooed out of the room by none other than Kagome's mother.  
  
"Come on, let's leave Kagome to show her friend around. I suspect he'll be staying with us for today, dear?" Kagome nodded thankfully at her mother. She always knew what to do! As they left the room, Kagome turned her attention back to the taiyoukai, who was no longer standing by her side, but instead exploring the house.  
  
She watched as he sniffed certain objects, examining each and every single thing with keen interest. She smiled, he was like a kid in a candy store!  
  
"What strange furniture. . ."he mused, coming to the couch. "Is this a chair?" he asked.  
  
"Hai, it's called a couch, and it's for several people to sit on," she explained. "Try it!" Now, usually he wouldn't take orders from a human, but he must admit that he wanted to try it. He did so, and was surprised that it was very comfortable! He relaxed into it, looking around the room as he did. Kagome soon sat down next to him.  
  
"Like it?" She asked with a half smile.  
  
"It is. . .different, similar to sitting on a giant pillow," he examined. He spotted a little black square piece lying on the table in front of him, with colorful circles with numbers labeled on it. He pushed on one of the buttons, and nearly fell off the couch when images flashed in a giant box not far from where he sat. The images of people flickered across the screen, and Sesshomaru stared at it in amazement. 'What kind of sorcery is this?'  
  
"Explain!" He pointed at the box and looked aggressively at Kagome, demanding an answer. She only laughed.  
  
"That thing that you touched was called a remote control. You use it to turn on the television, which is that thing!" He listened with interest at her explanation and slowly stood up to examine the box closer.  
  
"Te-le-vis-ion," he tested the word on his lips. "Is it some kind of enchanted box that traps people's souls?" He asked indifferently, sniffing it a little.  
  
"No, it's used for entertainment!" Kagome went on explaining the t.v., along with the other items that he came across on the tour of the house. She was rather surprised to find out how curious the demon lord really was, and despite his never-ending questions, she answered them all patiently and calmly.  
  
"And this is my room," Kagome announced as they reached her door. Sesshomaru nodded for her to continue, and she opened the door revealing her bedchambers. As soon as he stepped in, his senses were overwhelmed with her scent. It was so strong in this room, her scent was everywhere! He inhaled it deeply. 'Much better,' he mused. After experiencing all the different smells in this house alone, he was glad that Kagome's scent was still here to calm his nerves.  
  
Sesshomaru was becoming a little lightheaded from breathing in her scent as if he was drunk on it. Almost as if in a dazed state, he was brought out of his stupor when Kagome tapped on his shoulder.  
  
"Ano, Sessho-kun?" She looked at him with curious blue orbs. He shook off the feeling. His eyes scanned the room. She was relatively clean for a human. In fact, her whole house was neat and clean. Perhaps humans in this time and age were more hygienic. He spotted the bed.  
  
"Interesting," he said more to himself than to Kagome. He went closer to examine it. "Why is your futon so far off the ground? What purpose does it serve?" Kagome mulled over the question.  
  
"Hn, I never really thought about it that much. Everyone sleeps on beds like these nowadays," She watched as he sat on it like he had with the couch. Again he found it to be blissfully comfortable.  
  
Deciding he had enough of it, he walked over to her window, where he saw many similar houses and other structures down below. And humans, he saw so many of them walking on the winding paths. He was so caught up in observing them that he failed to notice Kagome standing by him until she opened the window.  
  
"That's the city," she said gently to him.  
  
"City?" he asked, she looked at him serenely.  
  
"Hai. It's. . .kinda like my village, except MUCH bigger. Here, we call it Tokyo." He continued to gaze out at the large metropolis. So many new things, how can so much change over time? He was intrigued by it, and he didn't even bother to hide his curiosity.  
  
"You want to see it?" Kagome's voice brought him back. He looked at her with his golden depths quizzically. Her ebony tresses swayed in the wind that gently blew in through the window. Was she offering to show him more?  
  
"If you want, I can show you," She held out her hand at him, and he stared at her indifferently. Slowly, he reached out with his own hand and, and placed it over her inviting one.  
  
"Yes, I wish to see more. . .But you must be with me at all times, so I can block out the other humans' foul stench." Kagome laughed at hearing this.  
  
"Of course! I can't have a loose Taiyoukai running around Tokyo, now can I?"  
  
**End Chapter**

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That's the second part to Sesshomaru's adventure in Kagome's world. Another update will follow in a week. READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. Thanks to all of you who reviewed before, I love all of you!

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	13. You Could've Asked!

**A/N**

Sorry for the late update on this site! Schoolwork is beginning to take its' toll, and I just finished an extremely long one-shot. So yeah... took up a lot of my time. (smiles sheepishly) Tired of waiting? Go to the full, complete, and uncut version of this story on my other posted sites. Visit my profile for the links.

**Disclaimer:** (Sob)

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**Forget-Me-Not  
By: Youkai Yume  
  
Chapter 13: You Could've Asked! **

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Kagome waited patiently for the demon lord in the other room. It had been quite a while since she had sent him to the bathroom with a couple of her father's old clothes. She was planning to let him wear those for now until she got to the mall and buy him a new outfit.  
  
She sighed, her patience finally beginning to run out. Honestly, it couldn't be THAT hard to figure out how to put on men's clothes, could it? It shouldn't be as hard to put on than what Sesshomaru normally wore! Kagome drummed her fingers on the table. Finally, she stood up and walked over to the front of the bathroom door.  
  
Knocking gently, she called out in a bit of a shy voice to the Taiyoukai on the other side.  
  
"Sessho-kun? Are you done?"

* * *

He eyed the pieces of clothing with great curiosity. What strange attire, do humans really dress in these? He considered for a moment to just walk out of the room, and go with Kagome into this "Tokyo" in his current clothing. Sesshomaru ran his clawed fingers through the fabric. No, Kagome won't show him Tokyo if he refused, remembering back to their recent little argument.

  
  
**Flashback**

  
  
"No! We can't go yet!" Sesshomaru looked irritably down at the miko who hung onto his arm, trying to prevent him from opening the door and stepping outside.  
  
"And why, pray tell, can we not?" He asked her coolly. Kagome loosened her grip on the demon lord's arm and paused to think of a way of explaining things.  
  
"Well, people dress differently in this era."  
  
"Indeed," he said, giving a quick glance at her uniform as he did. His eyes going noticeably slower when he reached her legs. Kagome blushed pink for a second, but decided to put his remark aside.  
  
"Yeah," she continued, "so you can imagine what a fuss everyone would make if they saw you dressed the way you are." His eyes narrowed at this.  
  
"What's wrong with my current attire?" Sesshomaru asked rather stiffly.  
  
"Nothing! It's just that I don't want to draw a lot of attention to us! It will be a lot more difficult to show you around when there are a bunch of people asking questions all the time. And even with normal clothes we would still draw attention, what with you being a youkai and all. . ."  
  
Kagome looked nervously up at the taiyoukai, hoping he didn't take it to be offensive or anything. But instead, she saw his face, although still stoic, shone with thoughtfulness over what she had just said.  
  
"Then what do you suggest?" She half-smiled. Well, at least he was considering it.  
  
"I guess you can borrow some of my Dad's old cloths. . .But only until I get you new ones!" Sesshomaru's eyes flickered in distaste. He didn't want to wear clothes that have already been worn by a human.  
  
"And if I refuse?" He asked flatly. Kagome sighed in frustration, but then a bright expression came onto her face.  
  
"Then I guess Tokyo tour is off then!" Sesshomaru glared at her. How dare she give him an ultimatum! He considered for a moment to just pin her on the wall threateningly and force her to show him her world whether she liked it or not.  
  
His eyes softened however, when he saw an innocent smile plastered onto her face. He couldn't help but be reminded of Rin when he saw this. It made Kagome seem so irresistibly adorable. Yes, he, Sesshomaru, admitted that the two girls were adorable. How could he not when they grinned at him like that?  
  
Sighing, he looked tiredly into her twinkling sapphire orbs.  
  
"Very well, I will agree to your terms."

**End Flashback**

  
  
Sesshomaru examined himself in the mirror. He didn't look half- bad, although it still felt extremely strange and different from his usual kimono. Not to mention, the scent of Kagome's father still hung onto the clothes. Just then, a light knock could be heard upon the door.  
  
"Sessho-kun? Are you done?" Kagome's melodious voice asked timidly from the other side. Looking over himself once more, and deciding he was fit to show himself, he walked over to the door and grasped the doorknob.

* * *

Kagome took a surprised step back when the door opened. Her eyes widened when she saw Sesshomaru. The clothes fit fairly well on him! He was wearing an unbuttoned midnight blue dress shirt with a white T-shirt underneath and black pants. Nothing too fancy, and although she thought it was rather unusual to see the taiyoukai in modern clothes, she had to admit he looked good!  
  
She blushed when at the thought, and was brought out of her admiration when Sesshomaru cleared his throat.  
  
"Well, do I look suitable?" He asked her calmly, and almost smiled when he heard her response.  
  
"I'll say! Oh, I mean. . .you look good. . ." then she muttered under her breath, "real good. . ." Sesshomaru caught the little remark though, and couldn't help but feel a little satisfied. It was swept away though, when he saw a frown curve upon her lips.  
  
"What is the matter?"  
  
"Oh! It's just that," Kagome stepped closer to them until they were only a feet apart. He felt a sudden unexplained feeling wash over him at her closeness. She then proceeded to place a small hand on his tail and ran her fingers gently through them. He instinctively closed his eyes, enjoying her caress as she continued to absently pet it.  
  
"Your tail. . ." she murmured. "How are we supposed to hide it?" His eyes snapped back open.  
  
"We don't," he answered, his tone flat.  
  
"Huh?" Kagome looked questioningly up at the demon lord.  
  
"That is the one thing I refuse to do," Sesshomaru looked at her, his expression making it final. An exasperated sigh passed her lips and she shook her head, chuckling lightly.  
  
"Then, if anyone asks, we'll just say it's your fashion statement." A delicate eyebrow lifted at her response. Just when he was about to ask her what a "fashion statement" was, he became suddenly aware of the fact that she had changed out of her clothes as well.  
  
His eyes swept over her lithe form. Instead of her usual green and white uniform, she was now dressed in a black tank top, with a white spaghetti strap shirt with a light blue outline over it. She was also wearing tight jeans that flared out slightly on the bottom, with decorative blue and white flowers dancing across the lower left leggings of her jeans. Around her neck was a black band, along with a chained necklace holding the half- complete Shikon no Tama.  
  
Sesshomaru couldn't help noticing that the clothes hugged at her body, outlining her curves and bringing out her finer attributes. His voice became caught in his throat. She was stunning.  
  
Kagome became increasingly nervous under his intense gaze. What was he staring at? She began to shift uncomfortably on the spot. Sesshomaru must of sensed her nervousness, for he was brought out of his musings to look at her.  
  
"Kagome," he called to her gently. She lifted her gaze to meet his, and smiled apologetically.  
  
"Ano, I guess we're ready to go then."

* * *

Murmurs and whispers could be heard all around them as they walked down the street. Kagome felt uncomfortable as she felt hundreds of eyes boring into her back. She glanced quickly over at Sesshomaru. His eyes were narrowed, his nose slightly wrinkled in displeasure, and his hand gripped tightly to Kagome, bringing her body close to his in an effort to block out the other scents that assaulted his sensitive nose.  
  
She couldn't help but smile. It was kind of cute.  
  
"Gomen, Sessho-kun. We're almost there." His grip loosened a bit, and she was answered with a stiff nod.  
  
To anyone else, it would look like they were a couple, what with their linked arms and by the looks of how close they were standing. Kagome felt a slight blush on her cheeks at the thought. Imagine! Sesshomaru and herself, a couple! It seemed so unlikely, and yet, oddly not so impossible. . .  
  
They walked by a group of girls, and Kagome rolled her eyes when she heard whispers followed by shrill giggles coming from them. They were looking at Sesshomaru like he was candy! But they looked at HER like she was dripping poison, eyes narrowed in jealousy and cursing at her luck. She wasn't the only one who heard their envious remarks, for Sesshomaru leaned down to her shortly after.  
  
"It seems they are jealous of you, Kagome," he whispered almost teasingly into her ear. She glared at him and swatted his arm playfully.  
  
"I'm not THAT lucky!" She joked back at him. He was surprised that she was so bold as to strike him! Even if it was lightly, and all part of their little playful banter.  
  
That was another thing too. He had never been playful in conversation with anyone before! And strangely enough, he wasn't angered that Kagome brought it out of him, or that she spoke with him as if he was an equal, a close friend. Rather, he enjoyed knowing the fact that she was perfectly comfortable and friendly around him so quickly.  
  
"Well, here we are!" Kagome announced, stopping in front of a large building. He examined it curiously.  
  
"Where are we, exactly?" He asked stoically.  
  
"We're at the mall! It's kind of like a marketplace. They sell all kinds of things here! Clothes, games, books, gifts," she counted. "But I think it'll be more fun if you see it instead of hearing it from me!" She said, dragging him into the building.  
  
If Sesshomaru thought Kagome's house was impressive, it was nothing compared to what he thought of this "Mall!" Hundreds upon hundreds of shops on stories of structure! He had never seen such a bustling marketplace! Kagome watched with a half-smile, as the demon lord examined his surroundings with fascination. First things first. She had to get him new clothes. Afterall, she DID promise.  
  
"C'mon, Sessho-kun! First stop on the tour, here we come!" She said enthusiastically, dragging the still slightly awed taiyoukai into a clothing store.

* * *

They walked by the shops, Sesshomaru feeling slightly better with his change of clothes. He was now wearing gray cargo pants, which he himself liked, since they were baggy and loose. Kind of like his usual pants. A silver chain hung from his side, and although he did not understand the purpose of it, Kagome had said that it was simply because he looked cooler with it. Cool, there was that word again. Well, bottom line was, at least they were loose.  
  
He wished he could say the same thing about his shirt, though. It was Dark blue and sleeveless, with the words "Top Dog" displayed across his chest. A couple of clawed paw prints were decorated on the bottom corner of the shirt. It clung to his torso just enough to show off some of his fine toned muscles, and he admitted that when he first tried it on, he was going to straight out refuse to wear it.  
  
But what REALLY changed his mind was when he walked out of the dressing room to meet a speechless Kagome, whose eyes examined every attribute of his body in the shirt in a dazed state. After getting out of her stupor, she had managed to say that she liked it on him. Sesshomaru inwardly smirked.  
  
He didn't need her to tell him that, he already knew by smelling the slight arousal in her scent. His mind was made up after that. Sesshomaru didn't understand why he wanted to please her, only that he did. He had even let her tie his hair into a low ponytail.  
  
Now they were continuing to look around, Sesshomaru's earlier borrowed clothes in a bag. He glanced at it, and felt slightly guilty. She had spent HER money on him, bought him clothes that he probably won't be wearing again in a long time. When he mentioned this to her though, she only smiled at him warmly.  
  
"It's alright! The whole day's on me. I'll get my next allowance soon enough," she reassured him. "Besides, it's not like you can spend your money here. We don't use that kind anymore," Kagome explained. Sesshomaru nodded in understanding. But still, he felt uncomfortable accepting these gifts. Kagome must've read his mind, because she gave a little tug on his arm, gaining his attention.  
  
"I have an idea. Do you have money from your time with you?" He quirked an eyebrow at her. Didn't she just say that they were useless here? Still, he reached into his pocket and pulled it out for her to see. "Alright then," she took out her own money and counted it. Then she counted his money, and took some from him, only to replace it with her own.  
  
"This is about how much your money would be worth today! So, I'll just take a certain amount of your money in exchange for the same amount of my money! You'll be able to use those today, and I'll be able to use these later on in the Feudal Era!" Sesshomaru examined the money. Strange, but it will do for now. He looked down at the smiling miko.  
  
"Clever," he complimented, and her eyes glittered in appreciation. Their moment was interrupted however when three girls approached them.  
  
"Kagome! You didn't tell us you were going on a date!"  
  
"Should you be out? What about your allergies to the sun?"  
  
"Who is THAT?"  
  
"What's that fluffy thing on his shoulder? A boa?"  
  
All of them clamored at once, and Kagome could only sweatdrop while Sesshomaru resisted the urge to cover his ears and block out their shrill voices.  
  
"Eri, Yuka, Ayumi! What are you doing here?" She asked nervously. 'Great, I just had to run into them while Sesshomaru's here. . .'  
  
"What are we doing here? The question is what are YOU doing here? Who is this guy?" Eri questioned. The others looked at her expectantly for an answer.  
  
"Hehehe, he's just a friend that I promised to show around!" They all widened their eyes.  
  
"Kagome, is THIS the two-timing nutbar?" Her face flushed. 'Oh No! They think he's Inuyasha!' Her friends spotted her red face and gasped.  
  
"He is, isn't he?"  
  
"NO!" She burst out. But they were all ignoring her as they looked closer at Sesshomaru, who was becoming quite irritated with them.  
  
"Ooooh, no wonder you chose this guy over Hojo!"  
  
"Yeah, he's gorgeous!"  
  
"Wow! I wanna dye my hair silver!"  
  
"Did he tattoo his forehead?"  
  
"Wow! I wanna tattoo MY forehead!"  
  
They all clamored around the demon lord, who tried with every last bit of his restraint not to tear out their throats in order to silence them.  
  
Kagome on the other hand looked like she was about to die of embarrassment. Not to mentioned she was worried about Sesshomaru and her friends. If they don't shut up soon, Sesshomaru looked like he's going to break his promise and slaughter them on the spot! Or, if he actually stuck it out, he'd probably try to tear out his own ears!  
  
"GUYS!" She screamed out, finally catching their attention. "He's not who you think he is!"  
  
"Then who is he?" They all turned to her now, which Sesshomaru was grateful for, since they weren't pestering him any longer.  
  
"I told you, a friend!" She said exasperatedly. They all rolled their eyes, not believing her.  
  
"Sure. . ."  
  
"Geez, Kagome! I never knew you were so fickle about men!" Kagome threw her hands up in defeat, letting out a frustrated "Grrr!" It was then that Sesshomaru decided to step in.  
  
"She speaks the truth. I know not of who you speak, but I assure you, I am not him," he bit out coldly to them in his smooth velvety voice. They all twirled around to him, surprised since hearing his voice for the first time. They all looked slightly frightened from his cold reply, and to top it all off, his usual youkai aura was beginning to make them even more uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh," Ayumi whispered timidly. "We're sorry."  
  
Kagome stared at Sesshomaru with her sapphire orbs, gratitude evident in their depths. He nodded at her.  
  
"Sorry, guys, but we have to go," Kagome said humbly, breaking off from her circle of friends to stand by Sesshomaru's side. "See ya around, ne?"  
  
With that, she grabbed Sesshomaru's arm and walked off, leaving her friends dumbfounded and staring after them. Once she was sure they were out of their hearing range, she let out a relieved sigh.  
  
"I thought they'd never leave me alone!"  
  
"Niether did I," Sesshomaru said emotionlessly at her. Kagome smiled apologetically up at him.  
  
"Gomen, my friends are nosy!" He glanced down at her.  
  
"I find it difficult to believe that THOSE are your friends," she giggled half-heartedly, the sound ringing delightfully in his ears. They had stopped right in front of shop labeled ice cream, in which Kagome told him to wait at a table while she bought the ice cream.  
  
As he waited patiently for her return, another question surfaced upon thinking back of their recent meeting with her noisy friends.  
  
Soon, she came back with two cups with a creamy substance in them, and placed one in front of him. He eyed it curiously.  
  
"It's called ice cream, it's really good! It's a bit cold though," she warned. As intrigued as he was by this ice cream, he wanted to ask her the question first.  
  
"Kagome," she looked at him, smiling still. "Who were they discussing of?"  
  
"What do you mean?" She asked carefully, taking a spoonful of her ice cream into her mouth.  
  
"When your friends had mistaken me for someone else that you knew." He clarified for her. He watched as her eyes widened in realization. She swallowed.  
  
"Oh, that. . ." Kagome looked down into her ice cream, a sad look coming over her eyes. He placed a hooked finger under her chin and lifted her face to his.  
  
"You do not have to tell me if you wish it," he said gently to her, almost apologizing that he had touched a painful subject. She shook her head, and smiled absently at him.  
  
"No, it's alright," she set her spoon down and looked at Sesshomaru intently. "I think you have a right to know, because it's someone you know too." He waited patiently for her to continue, his mind beginning to get a hunch on who the said person was.  
  
"It's Inuyasha," His golden eyes hardened at this. Why was he not surprised? Two-timing, Nutbar. . .yup, that was him alright. He noticed Kagome stir her ice cream into a fine liquid as she was waiting for his response. He really didn'' know what to say, only that he suddenly felt a longing to comfort her, to make her forget about his half-brother just for an instant.  
  
"I see," was what ended up escaping his lips.  
  
"Never mind about him! Your ice cream's melting! At least try it!" She waved the subject aside, insisting on him trying out the strange cream. Sesshomaru sighed. He had wanted to say more than just "I see." He wanted to be the one to erase her sadness. But now that he thought about it, what could he have said? And why did he care? His min surfaced an answer: Because now she is an ally, a friend. One that he felt a sudden image to protect. But was that all she really was?  
  
Deciding to push it aside for now, he took the spoon in his hand and scooped up the ice cream. He sniffed it a little before putting it into his mouth. It was cold! But it wasn't unpleasant. It cooled and melted into a liquid in his mouth, and he swallowed it. Sweet, and creamy. He liked it.  
  
Kagome giggled.  
  
"That flavor is vanilla, I have strawberry. Do you like it?"  
  
"Quite," he answered, taking another scoop into his mouth. He heard her giggle once more before she returned to her own ice cream. Sesshomaru watched absently as she ate, watched as she took every spoonful of the pink ice cream to her dainty lips. He became dazed, just watching her. His eyes became glued to her lips when a bit of the ice cream stained her lower lip.  
  
Sesshomaru had the sudden urge to clean it off her face, to leave her lush pink lips untainted. Before he knew it, he was leaning into her face, her scent strong in his nose. The whole moment was intoxicating, his breath was now caressing her flushed cheeks as she suddenly realized his nearness to her.  
  
Then he closed the distance between them, as his warm tongue licked her lips clean of the ice cream. For the first time, he was able to feel her soft, enticing lips. It felt wonderful. He felt pleased when she did not pull away. Suddenly, not even realizing that they had been closed, his eyes snapped back open, pulling away from Kagome.  
  
She stared at him, eyes widened in shock and surprise. A delicate finger flew up to touch her lips, as if not believing what had transpired. Kagome watched him as his golden eyes continued to bore into her own, almost as if he was in a trance. Still, she was able to see confusion in them, and she knew she was feeling the same thing coursing through her.  
  
"What just happened?" She asked in a still shocked voice. Sesshomaru tore his eyes away from hers. In disgust? Or was it shame? "Sessho-kun. . ." she whispered.  
  
"Forgive me," he muttered, his mask falling into place once more. "I did not realize that I had forced myself upon you." Kagome blushed. Would this be considered a kiss? If it was, it was her first. She doubted it though, and didn't want to push it any further. Afterall, they were both rather uncomfortable at the moment.  
  
"You know," she said on a happier note, earning his attention once more, "If you wanted to try some of my ice cream, you could've just asked!" With that remark, the demon lord broke into a tiny grin. She sure knew how to lighten the mood.  
  
**End Chapter**

* * *

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. 


	14. I Would Never

**A/N**

Hey all. I'm so sorry that I had waited two weeks to update this. Again, if you want to read the full version (uncut as well, meaning lemons and all) and not have to wait for me to update on this site, then click on my bio-page. There you will find the links to the other sites where I post. Thank you for your support.

**Disclaimer: **You've come this far. I think you know the drill.

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not  
By: Youkai Yume**

  
  
**Chapter 14: I Would Never**

Kagome touched her lips once again, the tingling sensation of Sesshomaru's tongue still lingered. She glanced over to the demon lord beside her and blushed. 'He didn't mean to do it,' she reminded herself. Slight disappointment ran through her, but she quickly shook it off. 'It's not like I actually wanted him to kiss me! It wasn't even a real kiss!' But no matter how much she denied it, somewhere in the back of her mind told her that she had wanted it to happen.  
  
'Besides, I always wanted my first kiss to be with someone I love. . .' Her eyes still gazed at Sesshomaru as she thought this. Why was she thinking about HIM? Could it possibly be that. . . 'Bad, Kagome, Bad!' She felt a little guilty, as a little reminder still nagged at her about Inuyasha. 'That's right, I had always wanted it to be with Inuyasha. So why am I not disappointed that it was Sesshomaru instead?' All the while, Kagome kept on reminding herself that it was not a real kiss.  
  
Sesshomaru could feel her eyes on him. For the first time in the demon lord's life, he was feeling nervous. About what? About what she might be thinking of him now? Surely not, but still. . .what DID she think of him, after what he had done.  
  
He could still taste her, the memory of her lips forever etched into his memory. Indeed, she had tasted even better than he had ever dreamed, even better than the strawberry ice cream that he so willingly licked from her mouth. 'What came over me?' He found himself wondering. Why had he given into the urge of tasting her like he had? Sesshomaru knew himself to have more control than that.  
  
But what was even more disturbing was what came next in his mind. 'Did she enjoy it?' He felt his chest tighten at this. Why should he care if she liked it or not? 'Perhaps it is because I. . .I enjoyed it. . .' He admitted silently to himself. Yes, indeed he did, and he wanted her to have also, if only to have her craving for more.  
  
Sesshomaru shook himself mentally. He, the great Taiyoukai of the West, wanted a human girl to yearn for him. It was so unlike himself, and usually he did not need to, for the females would disgustingly throw themselves at him. He inwardly smiled. It was one of the things that made him respect Kagome.  
  
He looked down at the still staring miko. Her eyes shone with tenderness. Tenderness for him?  
  
"Kagome," She snapped out of her dazed at the mention of her name. "Do you plan on staring at me the entire day?" He saw her blush in embarrassment, she probably didn't even know that she was staring.  
  
"Ano. . .Gomen, Sessho-kun. I did not realize that I was. . ." Kagome turned away, trying to hide her red face. He had to resist smiling. He found himself doing that a lot lately. Deciding to let the matter alone, he averted Kagome's attention to another matter at hand. Where in the world they were going.  
  
"Well, do you think we had enough of the mall for right now?" She asked him. She wanted to take him to places that he might want to go to. He nodded at her, no longer interested in all the shops that they had visited. Which was a lot. But half of the time, he wasn't even paying attention to what he was looking at because his mind was still preoccupied with the contact he had with the miko beside him.  
  
"Hai. I want to see more of this Tokyo," he pointed to the glass windows that displayed the streets and buildings outside, "from out there." Kagome smiled at him and placed a delicate hand over his shoulder. He looked down at her.  
  
"I know just the place to go, how does Tokyo tower sound?" Seeing that the demon lord was lost, she took him over to the large glass window and pointed in the direction of a large tower in the distance. "There!" She announced cheerfully. Sesshomaru gazed at the structure with interest. It was unlike any tower he had ever seen in Feudal Japan.  
  
Glancing once more at Kagome's waiting face, he nodded at her his approval.

* * *

"Sesshomaru! Don't hold my arm so hard!" She placed her hand over the demon lord's clutched ones that hung onto her shoulder, trying to ease his grip. He was looking around the streets, particularly the cars as if they were deadly creatures. She vaguely wondered why he didn't notice them before. 'It's probably because he was too interested in everything else. Not to mention, it was still kind of early before, so the traffic wasn't as much as it is now.'  
  
Sesshomaru realized he had yet again, bruised her arm with his painful grip, and loosened it a bit before leaning down to her ear.  
  
"What are those things?" She turned to the cars that she assumed he was referring to. "Why are humans in them?"  
  
"Those are what we call cars. Almost everyone has one, and they're widely used for transportation everywhere. They're like the carriages that they use in your time, except without the horses," she explained. He stared at each one that passed by them. So many different kinds! And they were so fast!  
  
"But then, how are they able to move at all? If not with horses?" He wondered, though his voice sounded like he could care less if he received an answer or not. Kagome mulled over the answer. How did a car work?  
  
"Ano, I'm not sure, but nowadays cars run on gas. There's something called an engine in the car that makes it work and---Ah! How am I supposed to explain this?" Sesshomaru watched with slight amusement as she scratched her head in frustration, trying to come up with a decent answer. He had to admit though, she had been rather patient with him, considering all of the questions that he had asked her today.  
  
"I see, I think I understand," Kagome looked at him, surprised.  
  
"You do?"  
  
"No, but I did not want you to stress over giving me an answer. I don't always expect you to know everything," He said to her before averting his gaze straight ahead. Kagome smiled a bit. Since when was he so understanding? Usually he would insult humans for being so unaware about things around them. 'Oh well, it's not like I'm complaining. It's not everyday that Sesshomaru will be nice to me so why spoil the moment?'  
  
Sesshomaru's ears suddenly picked up a loud rumbling noise of wind sound from above him. Confused, he looked up and was quite surprised to see a giant bird in the sky! He looked closer at it. It didn't look too much like a bird, and it was made with some type of metal. 'A demon, perhaps?'  
  
Kagome noticed that they had stopped abruptly. Glancing over at Sesshomaru, she noticed that he was looking up at the sky. Curious, she averted her eyes to what he was staring at. A plane.  
  
"I thought you said there were no demons in your time," he said stiffly. Kagome threw a confused glance over at him.  
  
"Demon? Where?" He jerked at her arm and pointed at the flying object moving across the sky. Kagome's eyes widened and she let out a laugh. Sesshomaru growled at this.  
  
"What is so amusing?" he bit out to her. Her laughter died away until she was left smiling innocently at the demon lord.  
  
"That's not a demon, it's an airplane!" Sesshomaru looked confusedly at her, whose face told him that it was quite normal for her. 'Airplane?'  
  
"Is it a threat?" He asked calmly. Kagome had to stifle another giggle.  
  
"No, Sessho-kun. It's use it for transportation as well. Usually for traveling long distances by air. It's a lot faster than taking a car. People can travel around the whole world using a plane." She explained patiently to him. Sesshomaru listened intently. Amazing what humans have been able to accomplish over time. He obviously didn't give them enough credit. Well, humans in this time and age anyway. The humans back in the Feudal Era he's still have to think about.  
  
"Speaking of ways to get around," Kagome piped.

* * *

Sesshomaru gazed down at the flying scenery of Tokyo. This "train" thing was fast! Kagome sat by the seat next to him while he stood, staring out the window. He was closer to her than usual, due to the fact that there were so many humans packed in here. He was silently glad that he was next to the only one that smelled pleasant. Tearing his eyes from the window, he looked down at her, only to see her beaming at him.  
  
"Impressed?" She asked him innocently. He looked back at the city outside.  
  
"I must admit, I quite am." The train stopped soon after, and a female voice was heard over the speaker, announcing their destination. Sesshomaru and Kagome filed out of the train, and left the station. After walking a few blocks they finally reached Tokyo tower.  
  
"It is bigger than I had anticipated it to be," Sesshomaru mused. "It is even larger than the towers in my era." Kagome nodded.  
  
"Yeah, it's been a while since I was last here, I forgot how big it was." She glanced over at him. "Ready to go in?" The taiyoukai only nodded at her before she led him inside the tower. Sesshomaru was still thoroughly impressed with the elevator. It took out the hassle of having to walk up stairs. But then again, why would anyone want to walk all the way to the top of such a tall structure?  
  
When the elevator doors opened, Kagome ran to open the glass doors and proceeded to step outside, leaning on the railing. Her melodious laughter rang in his ears as she gestured for him to join her. He held back a smile as he sauntered over to where she stood, gazing over the city. Indeed, this was the best view.  
  
"You know, I never realized how beautiful the city could be," she mused. "But as much as I love it here, I still like it better in your time," Kagome gazed at him with her sapphire orbs when she said this, and he felt the familiar feeling of warmth spread throughout him whenever she did. But Kagome didn't seem to be as warm as he was, for a cold wind blew at them, causing her to shiver slightly. It didn't go unnoticed by Sesshomaru though, and being the gentleman that he was, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close to his own body, much to Kagome's and his own surprise.  
  
Sesshomaru felt the heat radiating from Kagome's cheeks as a blush began to make itself visible. Almost as if his body had a mind of its' own, his hold on her became tighter.  
  
"Sesshomaru. . .Ano, what're you. . ." She stumbled over her words, feeling extremely awkward in the demon lord's embrace.  
  
"Keeping you warm, it seems Kagome," She blushed an even deeper shade of red upon hearing his answer. Does this mean he was concerned about her well being? Well, whatever the reason, Kagome suddenly felt a strange feeling of security in his arms, and subconsciously leaned in closer to his body. Sesshomaru was surprised at her actions, but strangely did not mind. In fact, he found that he quite liked holding her, it somehow felt. . .right.  
  
'Kami, what is happening to me?' Right now however he didn't really care. Resting his chin on top of her head, he inhaled her heavenly scent. From the corner of his eye he saw someone approach them, a boy with brown hair and blue eyes. He was about to decide on ignoring him until he heard him utter the name of the girl he now held.  
  
"Kagome? Is that you?" Sesshomaru felt Kagome jump slightly at the mention of her name, and took one step back from Sesshomaru to turn to the owner of the voice. Her eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Hojo-kun?! What're you. . .?" Kagome's face flushed once more and she pushed away from Sesshomaru. He was almost disappointed at the sudden loss of warmth, but instead turned his attention to this Hojo. 'She knows this boy?'  
  
"I stopped by your house earlier today, to drop something off for you, but your mom told me you were out showing a friend around." He glanced at Sesshomaru as he said this, and felt slightly nervous when he caught sight of his icy golden eyes.  
  
"This is rather awkward, I didn't realize you were actually on a date with someone. . ." He said, slightly hurt and envious. Sesshomaru inwardly smirked. At least the boy knew not to make a move for Kagome while he was around. He surprised himself at his sudden possessiveness over the miko. But he couldn't deny it, he couldn't stand the thought of someone else holding her like he had just a few moments ago.  
  
Next to him, Kagome sweatdropped and waved her hands nervously.  
  
"No! It's not what you think! We were just. . . I mean, Sesshomaru and I. . ." She blushed, trying to explain. 'Well, what did you expect? Anyone who saw me in Sessho's arms would think that he and I were (blush) together. . .'  
  
Sesshomaru watched her intently. His heart did an unexpected lurch when he heard her answer. She didn't think it was a "date," or what Kagome explained earlier was courting. But why was he suddenly disappointed when he heard this? Afterall, they were NOT courting, and they indeed weren't a couple! So why did he feel hurt? Up until now, he didn't even know he could feel emotional pain.  
  
Kagome decided to drop the subject and turn to a different topic.  
  
"Hojo, you said earlier that you were going to give me something," Kagome curiously mentioned. Hojo momentarily forgot about the demon lord and rustled through his bag. Finding what he was looking for, he pulled out an acupuncture kit.  
  
"For your aches and pains that you've been having! By the way, I hope it isn't bothering you this evening," He handed it over to Kagome, who sweatdropped and thanked him graciously. Sesshomaru quirked an eyebrow at her. She had aches and pains? And she didn't tell him? He was suddenly filled with worry for Kagome.  
  
"Kagome, Daijabou?" He asked her indifferently, though Kagome could hear a hint of worry in his voice. She smiled sweetly up at him, and patted his arm.  
  
"Hai, I'm fine. I'll explain it to you later," She gave him a reassuring look before clapping her hands together as if just remembering something. "Oh! I'm so sorry Hojo, I haven't even introduced you two yet!" She turned to the demon lord.  
  
"Sessho-kun, this is my friend from school, Hojo," He nodded somewhat stiffly at the boy who smiled nervously back. "Hojo-kun, this is a friend of mine from. . .out of town!" She wove her arm around his own, and Sesshomaru looked mildly shocked at the movement. "This is Sesshomaru." She beamed at him, and he had to fight back a smile once more.  
  
Hojo bowed respectfully at the taiyoukai.  
  
"Nice to meet you," he said in his friendliest tone, though Sesshomaru could still hear somewhat of bitterness and jealousy in his words. 'So, this boy has feelings for Kagome,' he scowled, as thinking of how many people currently competed for Kagome's heart. In both eras! Which brought him to his next thought. Did he consider himself one of them?  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when the boy spoke.  
  
"Hey, Kagome, since you two really aren't an item, maybe you'd consider going out with me tomorrow at 8:00? There's a new restaurant I wanted to take you to." Somewhere in the back of his throat, a growl formed, threatening to pass his lips. This human would make a move on Kagome the first chance that he got! Kagome felt Sesshomaru tense beside her and stepped in between.  
  
"Ah, I'm really sorry Hojo, but I really can't! I-I'm busy," she lied. Hojo averted his gaze to the ground, seemingly disappointed until he lifted up his eyes to hers again. For the first time, Kagome saw him to be angry.  
  
"You're lying," he stated simply.  
  
"No! I. . ."  
  
"Stop it Kagome," he bit out, causing Kagome to step back. "You've been lying to me this entire time. You didn't think I knew did you? I've known all along that you've been avoiding me to be with someone else, to be with HIM!"  
  
He pointed accusingly at Sesshomaru, who stepped in front of Kagome protectively and letting out a feral growl. Hojo took a step back at this, but continued, letting out all of his contained frustration. Kagome could only watch him with astonished eyes. She had never seen Hojo this way before, and it scared her! And what's more, he thought that Sesshomaru was Inuyasha!  
  
"I had hoped by coming regularly and showing that I cared deeply for you would make you realize how I felt. But I knew you still had feelings for another. Still, I waited, I was patient. But you just wouldn't see!"  
  
"Hojo. . .please, it's not like that! Let me explain. . ." Kagome tried reaching out to him, to fix the misunderstanding. But Sesshomaru held her back, shaking his head. He narrowed his eyes back to the boy, hatred beginning to seep into his golden depths.  
  
"Kagome," Hojo continued, his tone softer, "The bad boy type may be thrilling for a while, but do you really believe he cares for you? He'll just throw you away and break your heart! Forget about him and come with me!" That was the last straw.  
  
Before Hojo could say anything else, a silver blur came straight at him and threw him backwards. When he opened his eyes, he found himself lying on the ground with a very angry demon lord standing over him.  
  
"Human," Sesshomaru snarled, "I would never do such a thing so vile as to hurt Kagome!" Both Hojo and Kagome stared at him in shock and surprise. 'Sesshomaru. . .' Kagome felt herself suddenly warm. Did he really mean it? Hojo however, never looked so fearful in his entire life. The man before him began to bare fangs, his eyes bleeding crimson red.  
  
'He's not. . .He's not even human!' Hojo could only stare, terrified as Sesshomaru's claws began to drip poison. His blood red eyes slowly faded away however when he felt Kagome's hands snake around his chest.  
  
"Please, Sesshomaru, I beg you, spare him. You promised me. . ." Sesshomaru let out a somewhat raspy sigh and eased down a bit. He threw a dirty look over to where Hojo now lay.  
  
"Consider yourself lucky, human. The next time I ever see you harm or humiliate Kagome in any way, you will die. That is a promise." He turned on his heel and left, pausing when he realized Kagome did not follow suit. Instead, she walked up to Hojo and knelt by him. He looked away, feeling ashamed and betrayed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Hojo-kun," He turned to look at her, surprise and confusion written plainly on his face. "I truly am, but the truth is, I never felt anything for you in the first place. Gomen, I only wanted to be friends with you," She apologized, placing the package that he had given her earlier next to him. He could only watch, stunned as she stood up to leave, linking her arm with the demon lord's, and departed from Tokyo tower.

* * *

They had been silent during the entire trip back. Kagome glanced nervously now and then to the taiyoukai, but he never once returned the gaze. He seemed so deep in thought, that Kagome didn't want to bother him. Partly because she herself didn't know what to say.  
  
"Human, I would never do anything so vile as to hurt Kagome!' Kagome's mind raced. He had been so overprotective of her back there. And had he meant those words? She placed a hand over her heart. It was beating, hard. She sighed.  
  
"Kagome," She was brought out of her reverie at the demon lord's voice. "Gomen." Was all he said. Kagome's eyes widened. 'Did he just apologize to me? SESSHOMARU, APOLOGIZED!' She could've fainted if not for the next thought. 'Wait, what for?'  
  
"But why? You have nothing to apologize for," He lifted her chin up gently, shaking his head.  
  
"No, I should not have reacted the way I did. I don't know what came over me, but it almost cost me your trust. I would've slaughtered him if you had not been there." He looked away, not wanting her to see the guilt in his eyes. "I almost broke my promise."  
  
He was soon brought back into her sapphire eyes when he felt her hand rest on his cheek, turning his head to look at her once more. When he met with her gaze however, he did not see the disappointment and look of betrayal that he expected. But instead, blue pools of understanding and kindness, mixed with some other unidentifiable emotion.  
  
"It wasn't your fault. If anything I should be thanking you for finally getting Hojo off of my back. Besides, you stood up for me, so. . .Arigato, Sessho-kun," she said his name with evident fondness, that Sessomaru felt his heart about to burst right out of his chest.  
  
"Another thing I wanted to ask you though," Kagome fidgeted a bit, feeling nervous once more. He waited patiently for her question. "What you said back at the tower," she paused, blushing. "Was it true?" Sesshomaru stared at her for a long time. 'Did I mean it? It was so impulsive,' but one look at Kagome's face answered his own question. Placing a hooked finger under her chin once more to lift her gaze he whispered with the utmost honesty,  
  
"This Sesshomaru, does not lie."  
  
**End Chapter  
**  
PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. Oh, and I apologize if Hojo seems OOC, or anyone else for that matter. lol. That's one of Kagome's 'suitors' down...I'm sure Sesshy will figure out a way to get rid of them all. Thank you for all ofyour reviews! Keeps me going, that's for sure! 


	15. I Don't Want This To End

**A/N**

Well, I do believe this will be the last chapter of Sesshomaru's trip to Japan. I plan to put a little more time for him to spend with Kagome in this chapter, which is a warning for you all that there will be MAJOR fluffiness in here. I must say that it's been fun, ne?

**Disclaimer:** I own Inuyasha. I own Inuyasha. I own Inuyasha. . .Nope. No matter how many times I say it, it doesn't sound right. (sigh)

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 15: I Don't Want This To End**

Sesshomaru sniffed the air. Much better,' he thought. They were now in what Kagome called a park, where there were large fields of grass and a few trees swaying its' branches in the wind. The green scenery eased the demon lord a bit, seeing as it was quiet and empty. Unlike all the other places that Kagome had shown him. The air wasn't as heavily scented with so many different smells; though some of it still lingered, it was an improvement.

"Besides, I think it'll be nice, as this is the closest thing we have to the forests in your time. And I think we can use a bit of peace and quiet after everything what's happened today," Kagome said cheerfully. He followed her as she went to a nearby tree and sat down under the cool shade.

Looking up at the still standing demon lord, she motioned for him to sit next to her. Hesitating somewhat, Sesshomaru gazed around the park and finally moved to sit beside her. Flashing him one of her warm smiles, she sighed and drew her knees up to her chest.

"This place," He started. Kagome turned her head to look at him, listening intently. "Why is it so empty compared to all of the other places that we have been to?" Kagome shrugged lazily, some of her raven locks falling over her shoulder.

"I don't know, I think it's because people are so busy nowadays, they barely have any time to just sit back and relax, or even take a stroll in the park." Sesshomaru nodded, not looking at her though he hung onto her every word.

"It's a shame really, cuz even if they were, they'd prefer watching T.V. or playing video-games over just enjoying nature. It's something we tend to take for granted when we have so much technology and advancements to make our lives easier," she continued, her voice gentle. "I know even I used to do that, but spending so much time in the Feudal Era, has made me realize how beautiful everything can be if you just take the time to look at it. And now that I see it that way, I just wish more people here can see it too."

Kagome leaned her head on her knee, hugging herself tighter. Sesshomaru was staring at her the entire time, noticing the way she seemed to muse in complete contentment when she thought of the world beyond the well. He himself will admit that her world was intriguing, but he'd much rather prefer his time.

The wind blew gently, caressing their still forms as the sky began to turn a beautiful blend of orange, pink and gold.

"The sun is setting," He said indifferently. Kagome nodded.

"Yeah, it is," she mused. "No matter where you are, it's still pretty, ne?" He raised a delicate eyebrow at her when she let out a yawn.

"Tired, Kagome?" She shook her head, rubbing her eyes a bit.

"Well, maybe just a little, but I want to stay out here a little while longer," He nodded his understanding. The moment was so hauntingly peaceful, that it felt like such a shame to break it now. As he watched the sun set further in the horizon, a sudden thought came to him.

"Kagome," he called out gently to her.

"Hmm?" she responded lazily.

"When we return, what do you plan to do?" Kagome lifted a finger to her lips, pondering. The answer was easy, she'd probably just continue on her shard hunt, but first she'll most likely face the wrath of Inuyasha. But she could deal with that when it comes.

"I guess I'll go back to shard hunting again." Sesshomaru looked at her.

"Why do you continue with it? It seems to make no sense, you have everything right here, why would you trouble yourself by traveling back and forth between worlds?" The question had been bothering him for a while now. In fact, ever since he first met her. A sudden look of regret clouded over her serene sapphire depths.

"Because it was my fault in the first place that the jewel was broken. Even though it was an accident, I feel it is my obligation, no, my duty to fix what I had done. It's only fair, as Inuyasha constantly reminds me every time I try to take a break from it," She sighed, and suddenly she smiled, erasing the former look of regret on her face. "But then again, if I had never broken it, then I would've never met Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango, or Shippo. . ."

Sesshomaru couldn't help but admire her after hearing all this. Kagome had a sense of honor, something that most are known to rarely acquire, and no matter how much she disliked having to fulfill that honor, she still managed to find a bright side to everything. But all of his thoughts were suddenly cut short when he heard what she said next.

"I probably never would've met you either, Sessho-kun. . ." He blinked. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? He wasn't sure, because he DID try to kill her upon their first meeting. But then again, they had formed an alliance, from what he had experienced with her, she must care for him on some level. Was she trying to say that she wouldn't have acquired him as an enemy? Or as a friend? Somewhere in the pit of his stomach, he hoped it was the latter.

Kagome, who seemed to see the confusion in his eyes added,

"And I'm glad that I did, even though our first meeting wasn't. . .exactly friendly," she giggled, relieving the tension that had clung onto the air earlier. The wind blew once again, and he noticed that the miko edged a little closer to his body. As his body had a mind of its' own , he moved a little closer too.

Not even thinking of what she was doing, Kagome found herself resting her head on the demon lord's shoulder. Sesshomaru stiffened, turning his head slightly to stare with astonished eyes at the serene girl. Her scent seemed to calm him though, and he soon felt himself relaxing back into the tree.

Kagome closed her eyes, sighing a bit, she was so tired. Relaxing even more into Sesshomaru, she soon found herself weaving her arms around his in an effort to keep warm when the wind blew once more. If only things could always be this peaceful,' she thought before drifting off.

Sesshomaru all the while, was completely still as Kagome held onto him. It felt so. . .good to have her so near. He shook himself mentally. She is not even aware of her actions,' he reminded himself. Still, he failed to block out the rising warmth that came to him. He felt her shiver beside him, and unconsciously wrapped his arms around her.

Why am I doing this? Why do I feel such a strong desire to protect her all of a sudden?' His mind flashed back to their recent encounter with the Hojo boy, and how he felt the sudden surge of possessiveness that washed over him. So many were after this miko, he realized. And upon this thought, he held her closer.

Sesshomaru gazed down at her peaceful face. Kagome, what is this feeling that you are beginning to awaken inside of me?' He still couldn't understand it, and at the moment, felt like abandoning all thought of wanting to.

As the two sat there, enveloped in each other's warmth, Sesshomaru felt a sudden peace wash over him. For once in his whole entire life, he felt like he was free. Free from being the Taiyoukai of the West, free of youkai battles and free of his desire of Tetsusaiga. Free of all his responsibilities. The boundary between human and demon dissipated as well, free, the word came to him again.

He felt like nothing else mattered, and the whole world melted away. For this one single moment, it was just him, and the enchanting creature that was Kagome. I don't want this to end,' he suddenly realized. I don't want to go back, I want this to last a little longer.'

Sesshomaru knew he shouldn't be feeling this way, and he felt guilty for wanting to abandon his duties for a single moment. And yet. . .yet he could not stop it. Why?' Closing his eyes and inhaling her sweet scent, his mind tried to change to another subject.

His thoughts wandered back to what she had said previously. She will continue with her duty,' he thought. But. . .' Although he didn't want to end the moment, but he wanted the answer to this one question more. Nudging her awake, Kagome's eyes snapped back almost immediately.

Realizing the awkward position that she was in, she parted herself from the demon lord, blushing furiously.

"Um, Gomen. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you!" Sesshomaru felt the effects of the moment slip away along with her warmth, but pushed it aside to the matter at hand.

"I didn't mean to wake you," He paused, "But there is something else that I have been most curious about," he continued. Kagome looked up at him expectantly, her sleepiness fading away. "What will you do, when you have collected all of the shards and destroyed Naraku?" Sesshomaru saw her gaze avert to the grass.

"I. . .I'm not sure," she replied honestly. "But most likely, I'll just go home, and seal the well." Kagome's voice became laced with a heavy sadness. Sesshomaru could sense it, feel it in the air, and the scent of unshed tears began to taint her scent.

"If it pains you to leave, why not stay?" He asked, it was only logical to him to pursue the choice that led to one's happiness. But why do I care? If she wants to go home, then it is her choice.' Sesshomaru felt his heart twinge a bit as he thought this. If she went home, it would mean she would never return. He would never be able to see her again, never inhale her intoxicating scent.

His chest tightened, and a sudden aching filled him. A life deprived of Kagome. He couldn't imagine it anymore. Why?' He found himself asking for the hundredth time. Why can't I imagine a world without her? Up until now, her existence meant nothing to me. . .'

"I can't stay," she answered, still refusing to look at him. "I have a home and a family here. I left my life on hold so I could collect the shards. When this is over, I need to get back to it," She began drawing circles in the ground. He continued to stare at her. It pained her to say this, he could tell. But he understood. She had no reason to stay in the feudal era, no reason at all. He placed a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze, forcing her to look at him.

"What if you had a reason to remain?" He blurted out, and was surprised he had done so, seeing as he always thought out his words before saying them. Do I really want her to stay that badly?' He waited patiently as Kagome thought it over.

"Well that would be different. . ." She answered finally, giving him a half-smile. Sesshomaru could feel something rise within his chest that felt a lot like hope. WHY?!' He wanted to tear out his silver hair in frustration if it had not been for his dignity. Luckily, Kagome sensed his uneasiness, and stood up.

"But that's a long way from now! Let's just forget about it. . ." Holding out an offering hand to him, she smiled once more. "C'mon, it's getting dark. We should be getting back to my house."

* * *

"Kawaii!" Kagome squealed out, causing the Taiyoukai to wince slightly. She was bouncing up and down looking at a window displaying what she had explained to him were plushies. He knew he should be annoyed with her, but she kind of reminded him of Rin when she found something new.

He was brought out of his observations when she tugged on his arm. Looking down, she smiled at him and pointed to a little teddy bear with a bow on it.

"Don't you think it's cute?" He looked at it, and shrugged.

"On some level," he answered. Kagome giggled.

"Too bad Rin isn't here, I bet she'd absolutely adore it!" At hearing this, Sesshomaru took another glance at the stuffed animal. Yes, Rin would like it. Reaching inside his pocket, he fingered the money that Kagome had given to him earlier.

Without warning, Kagome felt herself being dragged into the toy shop, with a demon lord leading the way.

"Sessho---what are you---"

"You said Rin would've liked it," he said, and Kagome's eyes widened in realization. Breaking out into a smile, she caught up with him.

"I'll help you find it," she offered. It wasn't long before they found the stuffed animal rack. Kagome picked up the bear and snuggled it, and held it out for him. He inwardly smiled. She's like a little child,' Taking the bear into his hand, he gestured to her to make the purchase. Kagome nodded and lead him to the cash register, only to stop abruptly when she came across a chibi white dog plushie.

He saw her eyes widen, as she immediately fell in love with it.

"It's sooooo kawaii! I want one. . ." but upon looking at the price tag, she straightened herself and continued walking to the register. Confused, Sesshoamru followed her.

"Did you not want one?" He asked stoically. She shook her head.

"As much as I want it, I can't afford it. In fact, I'm straight out broke. I can't believe I spent all my money already!" She sighed. "Besides, it's not something I really need, I just want it. . .just because. . .so, it's silly!" He eyed the bear in his hand. It looked like it wasn't going to cost much, and he suddenly felt guilty. The money he was going to spend was the money that Kagome traded with him. It was technically HER money, and she would've been able to buy that plushie dog if she hadn't given some of her money to him.

When they approached the register, Kagome placed the teddy bear on the counter. The cashier scanned it's price and said in a cheery voice,

"Is that all for today?" Kagome was about to answer "yes" when Sesshomaru cut in.

"No, it is not," Kagome looked confused up at him. "Kagome, wait here for a moment," he told her indifferently as she watched him go back into the aisles. What else does he want to get for Rin?' She wondered.

Moments later, Sesshomaru came back and placed next to the teddy bear, to Kagome's surprise, the white dog plushie on the counter. Confused, she looked back up at the demon lord, who avoided her gaze.

"But Sessho---"

"Silence, you gave me money to spend it as I wish, and I intend to," He told her emotionlessly. Not saying another word, Kagome instructed him to lay out the right amount of money for the purchase. As the cashier was putting the plushies into bags, Kagome never tore her eyes away from him. Why would he do that?'

When they finally left the shop, Sesshomaru pulled out the dog plushie from the bag and handed it to her.

"This is yours," he said, still not looking at her. Looking down at the adorable stuffed animal, Kagome ran her fingers through its' fur and turned her attention back to the demon lord.

"But why?" Why indeed, he felt himself wondering. He didn't know what to say to her, only that he. . .he had wanted to. Simply because. But that made no sense. He, Sesshomaru always had a reason for doing something. Perhaps he wanted to repay her for all that she had done, yes, that's it. He wanted to give her a gift of thanks. But he didn't need to answer her, even if he DID respect her.

"Are you telling me you don't want it afterall? I could simply give it to Rin as well-" He was cut off by Kagome's hurtling body slamming into his, embracing him in a tight hug as her arms wrapped around his neck. He was caught totally by surprise.

"ARIGATO! ARIGATO! ARIGATO!" She squealed, refusing to let go. Sesshomaru stood paralyzed in her embrace, but slowly, his arms snaked around to hold her form. Happiness radiated off of her like mad, and it sort of leaked into Sesshomaru as well.

HE had made her happy, had made her smile. He found he quite liked the feeling, and wanted to do it again. It felt wonderful knowing that he had been able to make her happy. What is this feeling?' Again, he wanted to know, What is this feeling you are awakening inside. . .Kagome. . .'

* * *

After taking a "shower" as Kagome had called it, he felt utterly relaxed. Sitting on the sofa now, he waited for Kagome to finish finding her "video tape." They had the whole house to themselves, as Kagome had found a note earlier from her mother explaining that she and the others went to go visit her sister, who was in the hospital.

Meanwhile he was tugging at his clothes. He had changed out of the ones he was in earlier, and was now wearing a very baggy T-shirt and loose boxers. His tail still draped over his shoulder. It was a lot more comfortable he had to admit than the other ones.

Finally, Kagome came into the room holding a rectangular black box and a bowl of some sort of yellow puffy stuff. It smelled buttery, and pleasing to his nose. Pushing it from his mind, he focused on Kagome, who changed into a white tank top and baggy sweatpants with little stars all over them.

"Okay!" Kagome started. "This is a movie that I'm going to let you see! It's a samurai movie, so I think you'll like it," she explained, and leaned down to pop it into the VCR. Once again, Sesshomaru saw the enchanted box flicker with images, and music began emitting from it. I'll never get used to that,' he mused.

Transfixed on staring at the screen, he didn't even realize that Kagome had seated herself next to him until he felt the sofa shift beneath him. Gazing over at Kagome, she smiled at him and handed him the bowl of yellow, buttery substance.

"Popcorn," she explained. "Most commonly eaten for occasions such as this!" Eyeing it curiously, he picked one up, sniffed it, and finally placed one in his mouth. Finding that he liked it, he popped in another one, and another one. Kagome giggled, and held the little chibi dog plushie closer to her body. Sesshomaru felt warm when he saw her do this. Ever since they had come back, she had refused to let the little stuffed animal go. On top of that, she had named it Fluffy.

"Because it's as soft as your tail!"

He felt a little envious at it for being so close to her body. Shaking his head, he turned back to the movie. Where did that come from?' For the next hour, Sesshomaru found himself engrossed in this "movie." It was pretty interesting! And although the thought of a human being so heroic and skilled as the one in the film was rather ludicrous, he found it to be rather enjoyable.

By the time it had ended, Sesshomaru was left in a state of amazement, though by looking at his stoic face, you probably couldn't tell. It was then that he noticed something leaning against him, and looked down to see a slumbering Kagome snuggling against his tail.

Letting a small smile grace his lips, he reached for the remote control, and turned the t.v. off, just as Kagome had showed him earlier. He was careful not to wake her in doing so. The moon still shone through in the darkened room, illuminating Kagome's peaceful face as she slept. A lone strand of hair was on her face, and he gently tucked it behind her ear.

It was now, that Sesshomaru was truly able to see, that she was beautiful. How could he have NOT realized it before? That she was beautiful from the inside and out? He was long past denying these simple facts, long past wondering why he felt this way, only that he did.

Pulling the blankets up, he held Kagome close to him and whispered into her hair.

"Sweet dreams, Kagome. . ."

**End Chapter**

* * *

**A/N**

Okay! Drastic change! I know, Sess is OOC, but now I finally got to the part where he realizes that he cares for her more than just a friend or an ally! So, please don't make this any harder on me than it already is! (sob) Besides, I wanted to show everyone a totally different side of him when he feels totally free from the harsh burdens of his usual life, so there! Please REVIEW! And NO FLAMES!


	16. Since Forever

**A/N**

I warn you now! Lots and lots of fluff and a smidgeon of sexual tension in this chapter.  
  
**Disclaimer**: Is my name Rumiko Takahashi? Noooooo. So what does that say about me? C'mon, not hard to figure out!

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

****

  
**Chapter 16: Since Forever**

"Is he EVER going to move?" Sango asked the monk beside her. Staring at the hanyou that still crouched over the well, he shook his head, sighing.  
  
"I highly doubt it. . ." Miroku replied. Ever since Kagome's departure the other day, Inuyasha had refused to leave his position overlooking the well. He sighed. It had only been a day, and already Inuyasha made it seem like ten years. But even he had to admit that he was worried about Kagome, especially if she was with Sesshomaru.  
  
"Inuyasha looks like a rock!" The little girl beside him commented, giggling lightly. Shippo sat next to her as well, playing with a blade of grass.  
  
"I hope Kagome-chan is okay. . ." He whined softly. A small hand gave him a playful pat, and the little kitsune looked up to see Rin giving him her toothy smile.  
  
"Don't worry, Shippo-chan! Sesshomaru-sama will take good care of Kagome- neesan!" She replied with the utmost confidence.  
  
"Feh. I bet he is. . ." Everyone averted their attention to the still mumbling hanyou, his ear swiveled in their direction, showing that he was listening in. "Taking REAL good care DISPOSING of her! Damn that bastard! When they get back I'm gonna slice him to pieces, boil his guts and. . ." He was interrupted from his vengeful thoughts however, when Miroku hit him square on the head with his staff.  
  
"Ow! What didja do that for?" He fumed, murder in his eyes as he glared at the monk.  
  
"Inuyasha, you are truly paranoid. Don't you think that Kagome would be smart enough to send Sesshomaru back here if she felt he was a threat?" He questioned. Inuyasha didn't even take a moment to consider the possibility before jumping straight to his conclusions.  
  
"Well, what if she couldn't---because Sesshomaru already killed her!" He spat, and turned glaring amber orbs back to the endless black pit of the well. Miroku and the others sighed, giving up their feeble attempts at calming the hanyou down. 'One track mind.'  
  
"Sango-san, Sesshomaru-sama will not hurt Kagome-neesan. . .will he?" Rin questioned the demon exterminator. She shook her head in response and patted affectionately on her head.  
  
"No, Rin. I don't think he would. Not after all Kagome has done," She reassured the little girl. She could hear both Inuyasha and Jaken scoff in the back, but decided to ignore it. Deep down, she wasn't really sure herself what the demon lord would do, but hoped that his hatred of humans wouldn't cloud his sense of honor. But after observing him and Kagome for a while, she had to conclude that he at least respected Kagome, and would not bring her any harm.

* * *

"Don't worry, Rin. He'll come back for you. WITH Kagome." 'I hope.'  
  
The morning rays filtered through the curtains, falling onto the demon lord and the peaceful miko that slept comfortably in his arms. Inhaling her sweet scent, his eyes slowly opened to be greeted with her serene face. Not able to stop the smile that graced his lips, he buried his nose into her hair, and nuzzled her neck slightly as if in pure bliss. There was no point trying to stop the sudden feeling of peace that washed over him, he decided. Besides, it felt nice.  
  
It was morning, he realized, and after having done so, his heart suddenly felt heavy. Today was the day they'd return, leaving this all behind. He inwardly sighed, not wanting to wake her up, to lose the warmth that they currently shared. For once he DID wake her, things would go back to being exactly as they were. She would return to Inuyasha, continue with her duty to collect shards, and he would do the same; he would once more be the Taiyoukai of the Western lands. It would be the end of this. . .this dream, somewhat.  
  
He almost regretted having to leave. Or perhaps, he regretted ever having to come here. Perhaps if he had never had a taste of what if felt like to be free, maybe he wouldn't have grown to see his role in Senjoku Jidai as a burden.  
  
His eyes shifted to Kagome when he felt her snuggle closer into his tail, giggling slightly in her sleep.  
  
"So. . .warm. . ." She mumbled, smiling slightly as she dreamed. Sesshomaru subconsciously began to stroke her silky raven mane. No, he didn't regret it, he decided. In fact, more than anything, he was glad that he was given the opportunity to see into the future, to experience if only for a brief moment how it felt to forget all his troubles. And he was glad that he could be with. . .with Kagome.  
  
'Gods, why am I feeling this way? And for a human. . .' He mentally shook himself when he nuzzled her neck again. 'Do I really care about that anymore?' he wondered idly as her scent assaulted his nose. When had he become accustomed to her scent? Her presence? When did he begin to let himself grow calm and warm at just the mere thought that she was near? When did he begin to cherish each smile that she flashed his way?  
  
He almost felt inclined to answer his own question, and the answer that first popped into his mind was 'Since forever. . .' Not being able to resist, he lifted his head slightly, and kissed her forehead tenderly. He pulled back when he felt her stir within his arms slightly. Her eyes fluttered open, revealing her unforgettable blue orbs, still clouded with a haze of sleepiness.  
  
"Sessho. . .?" Kagome mumbled a bit, and found herself staring into his chest. Her face flushed a pretty pink as she realized she had fallen asleep on the demon lord-AGAIN! For the whole entire night! Slowly, she lifted her gaze to meet his golden ones. She was utterly shocked when she saw that his eyes shone with warmth and tenderness, and wasn't veiled with its' usual icy sheen.  
  
"I trust you had a good night's rest," he spoke to her, his mask slipping back into place almost immediately. Blushing furiously, she nodded and pulled away from the warmth of his body, which she noticed that Sesshomaru was having a bit of reluctance letting her go. Glancing around, she noticed that they had fallen asleep on the couch. Straightening herself, she turned her attention once more on the Taiyoukai.  
  
"Ano, I'm sorry if I took up most of your sleeping space last night. . ." she gave him an embarrassed smile, pulling Fluffy, her stuffed dog closer to her chest. Sesshomaru continued to stare at her stoically. Thoughts began to surface into his mind, none of which were particularly innocent. The thought of sharing a bed with Kagome, was very appealing. . .not to mention he wouldn't mind waking up with her in his arms every morning like just now. The only difference would be that they both weren't wearing any. . .  
  
Sesshomaru shook himself mentally, surprised at his sudden steer in thoughts. He willed himself to stop the surfacing images of her writhing in pleasure beneath him and screaming his name in pure ecstasy, but failed miserably. His suppressed passion went straight to his loins, and he bit back the urge to groan.  
  
Kagome looked at him, concerned when she noticed he became visibly uncomfortable. Edging a bit closer, she examined his face.  
  
"Sessho-kun, daijabou?" She asked carefully. He didn't answer her, but instead looked away, she felt heat radiating off of his body like mad. 'Does he have a fever? Can youkais even get fevers?'  
  
Sesshomaru at the moment tried with all of his efforts not to think of the miko that was dangerously near. He avoided her gaze, hoping she would get the message to leave him be. On the contrary, she came closer, he realized, as he felt her soft, warm hands touch his forehead.  
  
He couldn't help but notice that one of the straps of her sleeping tank top slipped to reveal her creamy, pale shoulder. He became fixated on the flawless skin, and his hand ached to touch it. His body began to shake slightly with sudden desire. Sesshomaru pulled up the blanket covers in an attempt to hide his growing arousal from her. Gods, did she know what she was doing to him with such an innocent and concerned act? It took all of his will power not to take her then and there.  
  
"Sessho, you're kind of warm. . ." she said more to herself than to him. Kagome found that she had lost her voice when her sapphire eyes locked with his golden ones. She had to keep from gasping when she saw his eyes glazed over with. . .with lust.  
  
Before she knew it, he had pushed her onto her back. She let out a surprised "eep," as she landed with a soft thump onto the cushioned couch. Her eyes snapped open to see Sesshomaru hovering above her, his heated body pressing against her own. Kagome's eyes widened in fear when she felt something hard press against her thigh, and a million thoughts began to race into her head. Most of which were 'OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH! OMIGOSH!'  
  
"Kagome. . ." he whispered her name huskily, bringing his head down to nuzzle her neck, inhaling her sweet scent as if he were drunk on it. 'It's like an aphrodisiac,' he thought absently. His hands began to roam all over her body, which shuddered at his touch. She was so hot! Before he could stop himself, his tongue crept out of his mouth to lick her neck sensually, leaving a wet trail in its' wake. Sesshomaru smirked against her skin when he noticed she didn't push him away.  
  
"Sessho. . .what're you. . ." Kagome's soft voice trailed off. Her mind was screaming how utterly wrong this was, but her body betrayed her thoughts. Unconsciously, her slender fingers tangled themselves in his silver mane, and she moaned softly when he began to nibble on an especially sensitive spot. All rational thoughts had been scattered to the seven winds for both the demon lord and the miko.  
  
Sesshomaru's lips and tongue left her neck, and he gazed deeply into her eyes. Slowly, he lowered his head to hers, and she closed her eyes instinctively. The distance between them was getting smaller, as Kagome felt his warm breath caressing her slightly parted lips. He was edging closer, and closer, cheering in the back of his mind at finally being able to claim her lips when---  
  
"Eeeew, get a room you two!" Both of their eyes snapped open in alarm, their senses coming abruptly back to reality, and breaking out of their trance. Kagome pushed against Sesshomaru's chest, and he quickly moved to get off of her. Sitting up, Kagome turned to glare at her little brother, who watched them with curiosity.  
  
"Grrrr, Sota! What are you doing here?!" She demanded, her face flushed a deep shade of red (from anger or embarrassment he wasn't quite sure) while Sesshomaru still looked as emotionless as ever. The little boy glanced from one to the other, a smug, but innocent smile plastered onto his face.  
  
"Well, the last time I checked, I lived here, Sis," was his witty answer. She glared with pure contempt at him, but was silently glad that he had interrupted when he did. She didn't want to think of what she might've gotten herself into if they had continued. Still, she wasn't going to let her brother know she was grateful.  
  
"Whatever, I thought you were at Auntie's house with mom and grandpa," Kagome quickly tried to change the subject, glancing over to where Sesshomaru sat. He refused to look at her, and at the moment, wasn't sure she would be able to handle it if he did.  
  
"Well, we were! But we decided to come back a little early. Mom's in the kitchen, we just got back now," Sota replied, and left for his room, muttering something about blackmail. Kagome sighed and turned to the demon lord beside her, who still avoided her gaze.  
  
"Ano. . .I'm going to take a bath, you should get one too after I'm done," she tried her hardest to sound like her normal cheery self, but a hint of nervousness was laced in her voice. She needed time to think, time to herself, and blushing once more, left the silent Taiyoukai to his own thoughts.

* * *

Kagome let out a relaxed sigh as the hot water melted away all of the tension. She leaned back against the tub, her mind wandering to a certain demon lord. 'What happened back there?' she asked herself. Her body still felt hot from his touch, and she felt guilty and ashamed for feeling so. Memories of his roaming hands and butterfly kisses resurfaced again into her mind, and somewhere in the pit of her stomach, it told her that a part of her wanted him to continue. 'Bad, Kagome! Bad!'  
  
She poured water over herself. She wasn't supposed to feel this way! He was a youkai! Once her sworn enemy! Inuyasha's hated brother! Inuyasha! Gods what about Inuyasha? Her chest tightened painfully at the thought of her hanyou, and for one brief moment, a voice echoed in her head, saying, "What about Inuyasha?"  
  
Kagome couldn't stop the dam of tears that began to spill forth as immense guilt washed over her. 'I still love Inuyasha. . .' she reminded herself. And yet, what she had just done. . .she felt like she had just betrayed him! And now she felt dirty, like some whore that only followed her body's instincts. She buried her face into her hands. But what was even worse was how right it felt, how wonderful it was like to be in Sesshomaru's embrace.  
  
"Why? What does this mean?" She whispered to herself, her quiet sobs echoing throughout her bathroom. Wiping her tears away, she held her body tighter, as if the single act alone would drive away the insecurities she no felt.  
  
"Please forgive me, Inuyasha."

* * *

Sesshomaru walked up the stairs, heading towards Kagome's room. He was thoroughly angry at himself, and at the same time, confused beyond imagination. He was slightly embarrassed himself, getting caught in such a position by Kagome's younger sibling. Why didn't he sense anyone? Bringing himself to remember the heated moment, he let out a sigh. It was because her intoxicating scent was surrounding him, all that filled his senses. He had beecome totally unaware of anything else but her addicting scent, driving him over the edge with desire.  
  
Why did he let his control slip like that? He had never, NEVER given into his lust before, and in that one brief, innocent moment, he had let his desire and want for Kagome to overtake his body and mind.  
  
He wanted to be mad at her as well, for awakening such emotions and passions inside his long dormant soul. But he found that he couldn't, he couldn't be angry or hate her, because the truth of the matter was. . .he had wanted it. For the first time in his life, he had wanted. . .wanted to touch. . . 'A human.'  
  
His fist clenched into a tight fist when he reached the top of the staircase. Turning the doorknob, he stepped into her empty room, and his nose was instantly assaulted with her scent. Not able to stop himself, he drew in a deep breath. His mood was instantly calmed. 'Kagome. . .' she was all that filled his mind, and gods how he hated it and yet wanted to embrace this growing obsession.  
  
Walking over to her desk, he noticed a familiar strip of film. 'Pictures we had taken yesterday,' he remembered, as he picked them up to examine. One of the pictures showed her smiling widely as he himself looked grumpily elsewhere. Another showed his face in close-up examination of the camera, and it took a shot of his golden eye. He remembered Kagome's melodic laughter at that one.  
  
But his favorite one was the last, which had himself with his arm wrapped loosely over Kagome, who was smiling from ear-to-ear, a slight blush on her cheeks. Much to hers and his surprise, he was smiling in the picture too, and a barely visible pink was tainted on his cheeks. He smiled at the memory.

**Flashback**

****   
  
"C'mon, Sesshomaru! It's not going to suck out your soul or anything!" She reassured the demon lord, as she dragged him into the photo booth. He firmly stood his ground.  
  
"I, Sesshomaru, refuse to be confined in such a small shack," he stated stubbornly, earning an exasperated sigh from Kagome.  
  
"Please? I won't ask anything from you, anymore!" She promised, smiling sweetly, and Sesshomaru all but gave in. Sighing somewhat annoyingly, he sat next to her in the photo booth as she inserted the money. It was indeed cramped in here, and barely fit the two of them, causing her to practically sit in his lap.  
  
"Okay! Ready?" she asked him, and he glanced away, not sure what was so exciting about sitting in a limited space shack. Suddenly, a flash came out of nowhere, and Sesshomaru looked frantically around to find the source. Finding the camera, he leaned closer to examine it, with Kagome screaming at him to get back into place, but his curiosity got the better of him.  
  
"How does it produce such ligh---"  
  
FLASH! Another picture had been taken. Blinking to clear the white spots from his eyes, he growled when he heard Kagome laugh hysterically next to him.  
  
"I fail to see what is so amusing, wench," he bit out at her, and she slowly calmed herself, wiping the tear that escaped her eye.  
  
"Sessho! I'm sorry, here, last one! Let's get it right this time!" She said, and before he knew it, she had grabbed his arm and draped it over her shoulders. Blushing a bit, she looked up at him.  
  
"Smile, okay?" Kagome said sweetly, before turning to the camera. He hesitantly did so too, unable to stop the smile that graced his own lips.

**End Flashback**

****   
  
Fingering the glossy photo, he pulled out another one just like it out of his own pocket. Although he was quite impressed at first at this new method of portrait making, he became fixated on the last picture. He, wanted one of these 'photos.' He remembered Kagome laughing good-naturedly then, telling him that he was welcome to keep a copy for himself, and she would keep the other one.  
  
He closed his eyes, pocketing the picture. Coming back to his earlier thoughts, he couldn't help but feel guilty over them. 'I wanted to touch a human.' But Kagome was so much more than just a human girl. She was the first to ever frustrate him. The first to offer friendship to the cold demon lord. The first to look at him not as a taiyoukai or some monster, but as a person. The first to ever make him tremble with desire. The first to ever make him smile. . .The first to melt his heart of ice. 'I wanted to touch Kagome,' he corrected himself.  
  
Sesshomaru's eyes snapped back open as a sudden realization hit him like a bolt of lightning. 'I love her.' The impossible words echoed throughout his soul. He no longer cared if she was human or not, no longer cared of his promise to seal away his own heart. 'I love her.'  
  
How did this happen? What happened to the cold demon prince that he was? How could he allow himself to fall for Kagome? And when had he begin to fall? Again the answer came to him.  
  
"Since forever. . ." For the first time in his life, Sesshomaru was afraid, afraid of this newfound emotion that she had awakened inside him. And yet. . .yet he wanted to embrace it, embrace HER. 'I love Kagome.'  
  
His head turned slightly in the direction of her personal bathroom, where he knew she was at the moment. Unable to stop himself, his feet lead him to it, until he was standing directly in front of the door. Her scent was strongest here, as he knew she was just on the other side. Sesshomaru longed to see her. It wasn't as if he missed her, because they weren't really separated, but just missed. . .SEEING her.  
  
The demon lord grew stiff, however when he smelled salt tainted in her wondrous scent. 'She's crying. . .' he realized. Something painful began to claw at him from inside his chest. Was he the cause of those tears? Was she perhaps, ashamed of being touched by a youkai? He suddenly felt a bit angry at himself for forcing himself upon her. But he certainly wasn't prepared for the emotion that came next to him.  
  
"Please forgive me, Inuyasha." Kagome's voice came to him in a hushed, regrettable whisper, and Sesshomaru felt a surge of jealousy and anger wash over him. If he had hated Inuyasha before, it was nothing compared to what he felt for his hanyou brother now.  
  
'Damn Inuyasha,' he thought with the utmost contempt. Damn him for getting to Kagome first, for being her first love. He let a growl rumble in his chest. It wasn't fair, Inuyasha always possessed something that he, Sesshomaru, could never have. His desire for the Tetsusaiga paled against his want for her. And, oh how he wanted---needed Kagome. How he craved to be loved and admired by her, to be the one she turned to when she needed comforting. How he wanted to kiss the very tears that streamed down her cheeks at this moment, to whisper sweet words into her ear, just to make her forget about everything. To make her forget about HIM.  
  
His tightened fist slowly relaxed, as a feeling of hopelessness came over him. 'Impossible,' he thought miserably. 'She could never forget about Inuyasha.' Sesshomaru slowly turned away from the door, sitting himself on her soft bed. The fact of the matter was, he WASN'T mad at Inuyasha. In fact, if it weren't for the whelp, he probably never would've even met Kagome.  
  
And he couldn't be angry at her for loving him either. Afterall, he was the first she ever saw when she came to the Feudal Era, and he had protected her, made her feel in a way the he knew himself would never be able to make her feel. His whole body ached now. Was this how Kagome felt every time she saw him with that corpse?  
  
Another thought passed his mind. 'Inuyasha does not feel the same way about her,' and he suddenly seethed with anger once more. How foolish his brother truly was, to choose someone as cold and hateful as Kikyo over someone so wonderful and enchanting as Kagome. It sickened him. 'And yet she would still follow him.' The demon lord considered for a moment to deem her foolish as well, but his heart kept telling him that it was part of her nature to be brutally loyal to those she cared for.  
  
'She does not want me. . .' He sighed, the sound came shaky and tired form his lips. At that moment, Kagome emerged from the bathroom, dressed in her usual school uniform. Sesshomaru's face slipped back on its' usual stoic mask, and Kagome's face slipped back on it's usual fake, but cheery façade.  
  
"Oh! Sessho. . ." she started, wiping away the remainder of her tears. "Um, I'm done with the bathroom, so you can go ahead and get cleaned up." When she realized he did not move, she went to sit down next to him. Slightly nervous at having to be so close after what had happened, she summoned her courage to force his face to meet hers. "You okay?"  
  
The demon lord looked at her, not responding. He was surprised that she would still speak to him. . .gazing into her sapphire eyes, he nodded. 'Who am I to ask for her love. . .when she has already promised her heart to another?' He realized now, that he could not change that fact, and strangely, felt better at knowing this. He grasped her hand in his own, causing her to blush, and slowly set it down. Hand still tingling from the momentary contact, he stood up and went into the bathroom. Looking back, he saw her smile warmly at him. 'If I can not have her, then I swear to protect her.'

* * *

"Bye Mom! Bye Gramps, Sota!" Kagome called out to her family. They waved back at her, wishing her a safe trip. She swung her oversized backpack over her shoulder, and ran to catch up to Sesshomaru, who waited for her by the well house, dressed in his usual attire.  
  
"What took you so long?" He asked her indifferently. She huffed and gave her bag a little tug.  
  
"I made sure to pack extra ramen and candy for the kids!" She replied, giving him a cheery smile, and he couldn't help but let his stiff façade slip a bit. Opening the well house door, she stepped inside the musty little structure, closely followed by Sesshomaru. Reaching the lip of the well, she let out an audible sigh as she removed the seal.  
  
"Something the matter?"  
  
"No," she drawled, thinking over her answer. "I was just thinking about yesterday. . .and how fast it went by. . ." Kagome's voice became a bit dreamy, causing him to raise a delicate eyebrow at her.  
  
"I hope I did not cause you any trouble during my stay," he said to her carefully, and she shook her head.  
  
"No! I had a good time, Sessho-kun. It's just a shame it couldn't have lasted longer." Sesshomaru's stomach did a flip. He wasn't the only one who felt a longing for this 'dream' to continue. Shaking out of his thoughts, he focused on the miko, who tugged at his arm. "Oh well, it was fun, but duty calls!"  
  
Nodding at her, he wrapped his arm around her waste, as her slender fingers clutched onto his tail. Standing like that for a moment, he tightened his grip on her, and jumped through. Blue magic swirled around them, engulfing them both as they fell together. He inwardly smiled when he felt her grip on his tail tighten, and he held her closer.  
  
As their feet touched the ground, Sesshomaru took a quick glance at the opening of the well. Clear blue skies were above them, and he could hear the birds of his time chirping. 'And so it ends. . .' he thought almost regretfully.  
  
"Hold on tight," he said to her, and she complied. Firm grip on her waist, he leaped out of the well in one bound, landing on the soft green grass. Taking a deep inhale, the Taiyoukai was silently glad that his nose was no longer assaulted with the different smells of Kagome's era. However, there was one scent that he still could've done without. . .  
  
"Sesshomaru!" A gruff, angry voice shattered the moment's peace.  
  
'Inuyahsa.'  
  
**End Chapter**

* * *

**A/N**

Sessho finally gives into his love for Kagome! Yays! I'm sorry if this seems OOC, but I think after 16 chapters, it's about sort of time. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. 


	17. She is Not Yours

**A/N**

Thank you for your patience. And thank you even more for your kind reviews. If you are tired of all the waiting, and would like to read the full, complete version of this fic, go to my bio-page, and find the links to the other sites that I post. Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** Yawn Too tired to say it. But you already know, so yeah.

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 17: She Is Not Yours**

Before Kagome could even blink, the flash of metal glinted in her eyes and the sound of clashing blades could be heard. The two brothers had already begun to fight. Her eyes widened in surprise and fear as she felt Sesshomaru's arm wrap around her protectively, and in a wild instant, she was hauled into the air, clinging onto his torso, with her eyes shut tight.

When she had opened them again, he had let her go. Leaving her in a safer spot beside a tree, his eyes locked with hers for a second, and whispered,

"Stay here," firmly before taking off, resuming the fight that was raging between Inuyasha and himself. Finally regaining her composure, her mind was brought to the situation at hand. 'Why are they fighting?' Kagome watched confusedly as the battle unfolded before her very eyes.

"SESSHOMARU!" Inuyasha's angry voice tore at the tense air. "You bastard! Stalking Kagome all the way to her time!" Inuyasha didn't even give it a second thought before jumping straight to his assumptions, and swung his blade with such force and ferocity that it took the demon lord by surprise. But then again, his half-brother was prone to show hidden combat skills when it came to Kagome. Despite the sudden agility, Sesshomaru managed to block it with Tokijin.

"What did you do to her?" Inuyasha breathed. The two swords clashed dangerously against one another, causing sparks to flicker in heated fury. Glaring his contempt, Sesshomaru pushed back, stumbling Inuyasha backwards.

Kagome all the while was watching from afar, willing her voice to scream out for them to stop fighting. Although, she herself didn't know why they were fighting. She wanted to move to stop them, but her feet remained glued to the spot.

"Kagome-chan!" Her head twirled in the direction of the voice. Miroku and Sango were running towards her, worry lined on their faces.

"Sango! Miroku!" Kagome managed to croak, finding her voice once more. "Please! You have to help me stop them!" The monk and taija averted their eyes to the scene before them, and a grave look came over Miroku's face.

"I knew something like this was going to happen," he turned to Kagome. "You're not hurt, are you?" She shook her head no.

"Why is Inuyasha attacking? I know he'd be mad at me for leaving, but Sesshomaru didn't do anything!" Kagome waited for their answer, and finally Sango took her friend by the shoulders.

"Kagome, Inuyasha believes that Sesshomaru followed you back to your own time, and harmed you," Sango explained. "We tried reasoning with him, but he was set on the notion. Obsessed with it, really."

"What kind of 'harm' did he have in mind?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"Oh, the usual bloodshed, abuse, slaughtering of innocent lives in your time," Miroku listed, and Kagome couldn't really blame the hanyou. Afterall, she was worried of the precise same things when she had just realized Sesshomaru was with her. She shifted her gaze back to the brothers, who made quite a display, as Sesshomaru parried off every blow that Inuyasha sent his way.

She noticed that he was trying his best not to attack, 'Is he keeping his promise to me, not to harm Inuyasha?' She blushed slightly when he stole a quick glance from her before resuming his battle. It was then that Kagome realized Miroku wasn't done, and what he said next sent her sputtering with shock.

"And Inuyasha believes Sesshomaru may have sexually molested you."

"M-M-Molested?! S-s-s-s-sexually?" They both nodded, sweatdropping, as Kagome continued to stumble over her own words. He would never do THAT! Her mind suddenly flashed to the heated moment that had transpired earlier that morning. Although she knew the demon lord acted upon lust, he didn't, and she knew he would never, MOLEST her! "What gave him that idea?"

"He just told us that he had reason to believe. . ." Sango started, but they all grew silent as the sounds of clashing steel became louder, and Kagome grew still as Sesshomaru spoke.

"So violent, little brother," Sesshomaru's smooth, velvety voice remained calm and expressionless. "Always running blindly into battle, when you have no reason to," He spoke to the hanyou in a chiding manner, inwardly smirking when he Inuyasha flare with anger at having been told at like a child.

"Bastard! Don't change the fucking subject. WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY KAGOME?!" Sesshomaru's mask of indifference slipped upon hearing this, and was instead replaced with anger.

"She is NOT YOURS!" He growled out, and pointed Tokijin directly at Inuyasha's chest, sending hundreds of lightning daggers jetting from the tip, tearing at Inuyasha's clothes and flesh. Inuyasha looked glaringly up from his position on the ground. But he was more surprised to see Sesshomaru's eyes turning crimson. He was angry now! 'Over what I said?'

Kagome gasped. Did she hear right? Inuyasha spoke as if she belonged to him, and Sesshomaru spoke as if he wanted nothing more than for the whole idea together to be deemed untrue. 'Are they fighting over. . .over me?!' The thought was so ludicrous that Kagome almost laughed hysterically over it. Still, it was just too shocking!

"Whelp," Sessomaru spat out, "Do not speak of Kagome as if she is property!" Inuyasha's eyes widened when he heard the possessiveness in his brother's voice, and his suspicions were confirmed. 'He wants her,' he growled at the thought 'Not to mention his scent is all over her!' His hand clenched into a fist at the very thought of what his brother might've done to Kagome while they were gone, and it sickened him.

"You, bastard. I'll make sure you NEVER touch Kagome again!" Inuyasha lunged forward, his claws ready to strike, and Sesshomaru's own claws began dripping poison an attack as well.

"STOP IT, RIGHT NOW!" Kagome's voice pierced the air like a knife, and both brothers froze, turning their heads towards the approaching girl.

"Kagome, get the fuck outta the way! I'm gonna slice him to pieces!" Inuyasha fumed when Kagome ignored him, and instead ran in front of Sessomaru, spreading her arms to protect him.

"No! Sesshomaru didn't do anything!" The taiyoukai looked alarmingly at the miko who stood protectively in front of him. He reached out a hand and placed it firmly upon her shoulder, causing her to look up at him.

"Kagome, stay out of this. This is between myself and my hanyou brother," He told her sternly. Her eyes softened, and she covered his hand with her own. Inuyasha's blood boiled when he saw this, and he lunged once more, brandishing his sword in the air.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF O' KAGOME!" He shouted angrilly, "Kagome! Get out of the way!" But she didn't budge, and Sesshomaru began to worry if she planned to take the blow for him. Panicking, he swept Kagome into his arms, just inches before the blade made impact when---

"SIT BOY!" Thump Inuyasha fell headfirst into the ground, dropping Tetsusaiga and cursing about ungrateful bitches.

Kagome calmed a bit, and realized Sesshomaru was still holding onto her protectively. Looking up at him, she blushed a pretty pink, and separated from his safe embrace. Inuyasha managed to lift his head, fuming red as he saw the scene before him.

"Bitch! Why are you protecting him?!" The hanyou spat out from his position on the ground. Kagome turned her attention over to him, glaring with suppressed anger.

"Because I told you! He didn't do anything! And he certainly didn't do what you thought he did!" Kagome stomped over to where he lay, "Baka," she let out. Suddenly finding unknown strength, he instantly stood up, waving an accusing finger at her.

"Oh yeah?! Then why the hell is HIS," He pointed over to where Sesshomaru was sending his piercing gaze at him, "scent is all over you?!" Kagome blinked, clinging onto his words so heavily drenched in jealousy. Her eyes softened for a moment, 'So that's why he thought Sessho molested me," then just as quickly, glistened in retaliation.

"You baka! Maybe it's because he was with me, and we went through the well TOGETHER! And I was holding onto him maybe?" She stated obviously, "Geez! What are you so worried about? Nothing happened!" Inuyasha's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her, trying to see if her voice held any signs of deceit.

He guess he should just believe her, just look at it logically. Sesshomaru would never romp with a human anyway, right? Scoffing, he looked away, but not before spotting Sesshomaru out of the corner of his eye. All of his rational thoughts blew away once more, when he realized his brother was staring at Kagome---with a look of yearning in his eyes. Inuyasha growled, causing the miko to turn to him once more.

"What is it NOW, Inuyasha?" His amber depths locked accusingly at her, then,

"What REALLY happened?"

"SIT!" thump

"He never does learn, does he?" Sango nudged Miroku, who nodded his agreement. They watched as Kagome stomped pass Inuyasha's subdued form, mumbling under her breath. Sesshomaru followed, inwardly smirking as he stepped over his hanyou brother, who was cursing his anger. Looking ahead to the fiery miko ahead of him, he silently applauded her handle on Inuyasha.

"Momma! You're back!" Shippo pounced on Kagome, hugging her stomach so tightly, she thought he'd squeezed the air out of her. Rin followed shortly after, knocking her sheer off her feet. Blinking her surprise, she opened her eyes to stare into the faces of two extremely ecstatic children.

"Kagome-neesan! Rin was so worried!" The little girl exclaimed, and she ruffled her hair affectionately. Rin giggled, then tugged on her shirt. "If Kagome-neesan is here, where is Sesshomaru-sama?"

"Right here, Rin." The little girl literally jumped off of Kagome, and with the speed of light, had latched herself in a death grip on Sesshomaru's leg.

"Sesshomaru-sama!" She squealed, and he patted her head.

"I hope you have fared well while in the presence of Inuyasha," he said stoically, and the little girl nodded up at him.

"Hai! Rin was so worried that Sesshoamaru-sama was going to leave Rin! And Inuyasha-san and Jaken-sama kept saying that Sesshomaru-sama was going to hurt Kagome-neesan!" She said it all in one breath, and she sniffed slightly. He raised a delicate brow at her, and pried her off of his leg, kneeling down to be on her level.

"As you can see, Rin, I have not left you. And," he glanced over to wher Kagome was brushing herself off, smiling kindly over to them. He resisted the urge to smile back. "I haven't, and would never hurt Kagome." This caused both Rin and Kagome to smile, and caused Inuyasha to scoff, "Feh," in the back.

Glancing around the camp, he noticed a green and brown lump lying nearby, looking suspiciously like. . .

"Jaken," He called out to the little toad, who immediately woke out of his stupor at hearing his master's voice. He quickly scurried over to where the demon lord stood waiting, and practically threw himself at his master's feet.

"Oh! Sesshomaru-sama! You have come back for this lowly Jaken!" He looked up, yellow eyes sparkling blearily with grateful tears. Sesshomaru noticed he was sporting a couple of bruises and lumps on his head. Sesshomaru-sama, while you were gone, these filthy humans abused me to no ends! They claimed I wouldn't silence myself!" Jaken pointed accusingly at Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Rin, and Inuyasha.

"It's not our fault you wouldn't stop whining!" Shippo retorted, sticking out his tongue. Kagome giggled when Jaken began to sputter his retaliation, and she picked up her little kitsune.

"Guess what? I have a little something for you and Shippo-chan!" The little fox's eyes lit up.

"Candy?" She nodded, then went over to where her bag was while Rin and Shippo looked curiously on. She pulled out a bag full of several chocolate bars.

"CHOCOLATE! MY FAVORITE!" Shippo squealed, glomping Kagome furiously before making a quick swipe for the bag.

"Now, now, Shippo-chan. It's also for Rin!" The little girl perked up at the mention of her name.

"For Rin too?" Kagome nodded, smiling sweetly as Shippo held out the bag to her. She looked up at the kitsune's already chocolate stained face, and cocked her head to the side.

"It's really good! Try some!" Shippo insisted. Rin took one of the bars out of the bag, smelling the sweet scent. Shippo stared at her. "If you don't want it, Rin-chan, I'll take it!" Shippo added, a little hope laced in his childish voice. Rin shook her head vigorously.

"No! Rin wants it!" And with that, she took a huge bite out of the bar, and her face froze for a while as she chewed the sweet candy. Then, she broke out into a huge grin, as she took another bite, and another. Sesshomaru watched amusedly as Kagome laughed and chided her gently not to eat so fast.

'Yes, she will make an excellent mother someday,' He thought idly to himself, and the feeling of emptiness came to him again. 'If only to my pups. . .' His wishful thoughts were interrupted when he felt Kagome give a little tug on his arm, and he looked down to see her smiling warmly up at him. He almost felt like melting.

"Rin-chan, Sesshomaru has a present for you too," And she gave his arm a squeeze to remind him of the little gift. Rin stopped stuffing her face for an instant to look up with sparkling eyes.

"Really? Sesshomaru-sama got Rin a present?" He nodded stoically at her and motioned for the child to follow him as Kagome went back to rummaging her bag. Inuyasha couldn't help looking either, and leaned a little closer, twitching his ear to see what his brother could possibly get for a human child.

An earth-shattering squeal pierced the air, as Rin was handed the little stuffed bear.

"KAWAII!" Rin hugged it, twirling around in circles, causing Sesshomaru to smile momentarily at the child's happiness. His mask slipped back on before anyone saw, but Kagome noticed, and giggled at the demon lord's tendency to mask his emotions. Yes, after spending just one day with the Taiyoukai of the West, she had to conclude that he did have emotions. And blushing at the thought, she smiled when Rin came over to hug the both of them in gratitude.

Just then, Rin couldn't help but notice another doll was peeking out of Kagome's bag. It looked white and fluffy-like a little dog. Releasing her hold of Kagome, she walked over to where the plushie was, and picked it up.

"Oooh! Kagome-neesan has one too! Except it's a little white dog!" She snuggled it along with her own teddy bear, giggling when the fur tickled her nose. Inuyasha became even more interested when he heard this, and leapt down from his perch to examine it closer. Ripping it away from the wailing child's arms (which caused Sesshomaru to growl slightly) he held it closer and sniffed it.

"This is a weird doll! Feh! It's not even cute!" Inuyasha bit out. Kagome huffed, snatching it away from his grasp, and gave him a glaring look.

"It's a VERY kawaii inu-plushie. I just think you're jealous because it's cuter than you!" She retorted, causing him to scowl in annoyance. Glancing once more at the stuffed animal that was so tightly locked in her embrace, he felt a question rise into his head.

"Say, who gave you that thing anyway?" He asked, trying to sound as disinterested as possible. Kagome blushed, running her fingers over the plushie's fur, and glanced over to where Sesshomaru stood. His molten eyes bore into her own, and she saw some unknown emotion flicker across them before he turned away, avoiding her gaze.

"Sessho, gave it to me. . ." She barely whispered. Inuyasha caught it though, and a low growl escaped from his lips. 'Sesshomaru gave it to her?!' He threw a dirty look over to where his brother stood with Rin, and the demon lord returned it with a look just as dirty.

"Why would he give anything to you?! He's probably just warming up to you, then he'll just stab ya right when you have your back turned!" He said angrily at her. Kagome narrowed her eyes in anger, and was about to open her mouth to tell him otherwise when Sesshomaru beat her to it.

"I, dear brother, would sooner die than to do such a dishonorable, and not to mention despicable, thing as to betray Kagome's trust." The hanyou looked at him with a look akin to anger, but it was mostly clouded with shock. Looking back at Kagome, he noticed that she was smiling warmly at his brother. 'What's going on here?!' Inuyasha couldn't quite understand it, did he really think that highly of Kagome? A human? He scoffed at the thought. 'Yeah right. . .'

"Feh! Whatever!" He ended up saying, and stalked off to his usual tree. Kagome tore her eyes away from her hanyou companion, and gazed over to Sesshomaru. Mouthing a silent "Thank you," she walked over to where he stood regally waiting for her to approach him.

"You know, you never cease to amaze me," She smiled sweetly at him. He raised a delicate eyebrow at her, and inwardly smiled at the compliment.

"As you, never cease to intrigue me," He countered, causing Kagome to laugh.

"Is that so?" Her laughter died down to a soft giggle, and she went over to where Rin was showing off her stuffed bear to Shippo. Sitting down under the shade of the tree, Kagome patted on the patch of grass next to her, gesturing for him to sit down. He refused, however, and she merely shrugged. After a moment of silence, Kagome decided to strike up some conversation.

"Gomen, about Inuyasha," He looked curiously at her.

"Why?"

"Well, I knew he was going to be mad at me for leaving on such short notice. Not to mention, you being with me in my era and all. . ." She trailed off, hugging the stuffed dog closer.

"He is overprotective of you," Sesshomaru stated, although the words were dripping slightly with bitterness.

"Hmmm, it's never easy to tell with him," she mused. "I think he has a slight fear that I might leave him forever. . ." the demon lord gazed down at the miko, who remained lost in her thoughts. His chest suddenly tightened, he didn't want to hear the very words she would say next. "But I don't think he should be so worried, because I already promised to stay by his side. . .forever. . ."

He looked away, even though he already knew of her feelings for his brother, they were still painful to hear. But as much as it pained him, he knew it pained her to say it as well. He could smell the unshed tears beginning to form in her eyes. Unable to resist, his molten gaze turned back to her. Sadness permeated her aura. She knew, he realized. She knew that Inuyasha still loved Kikyo, but she would still keep her promise to him. His heart cried out to her, wanting nothing more to relieve some of her pain, as well as his own. 'She deserves to be loved.'

Despite this, his stoic mask remained on, and he continued to stare at the children as if he could care less. It was even harder for himself, because he knew he couldn't be the one to give her that complete feeling, only his brother was. Again, the surge of hatred and anger flowed into his being. 'Damn Inuyasha.'

"You're leaving, aren't you?" Sesshomaru was brought out of his thoughts at the sound of her melodious voice. He watched as she stroked "Fluffy's" fur, as if it were a real dog. "You're going back to the Western lands now, right?" She asked him, trying to keep away the sadness that tainted her words. 'Why? Is she saddened at the thought of my departure?' He dared not think it, for if he did, it would give him a possible false hope that she indeed felt something for him.

Kagome waited for his answer. And after a few silent moments, she looked up at his expressionless face, though conflict flickered in his golden depths. She sighed, he wouldn't---or couldn't answer her.

"You want to know why I named it Fluffy?" She asked him, deciding to change the subject. Sesshomaru gave her a curious look as she held out the stuffed dog to him. A tug at his lips at what was seemingly a resistance to a smile.

**End Chapter**

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please.


	18. It Was You

**A/N**

Sorry for the long wait all. But again, if you don't want to wait, THERE IS A COMPLETE, UNCUT VERSION of this fic on the many sites and links listed on my Bio page. Just check it out for all you impatient readers.

**Disclaimer**: Inuyasha belongs to me as much as my money that my mom is saving up for me. Seriously! She says its' mine, then I never see it again, EVER!

**Forget-Me-Not  
By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 18: It Was You**

Inuyasha's ear twitched in the direction of his brother and Kagome. He had been listening intently to their conversation, and felt a wave of guilt when he caught what Kagome said.

"But I don't think he should be so worried, because I already promised to stay by his side. . .forever. . ."

His chest tightened painfully. Yes, she had promised him that, and a fine way he repaid her by blowing up like he just had earlier. Afterall, didn't she always come back like she promised? She had yet to leave him, and after all they've been through, he should know better than that.

One of the things Inuyasha secretly admired about her was that she was loyal, and would sooner die than to betray any of her friend's trust. Unfortunately, Sesshomaru was now considered one of her friends now, and a jealous feeling came over him at the thought of his brother receiving the same trust and loyalty that she gave him. 'He doesn't deserve it, the bastard!' But then again. . .Sesshomaru had yet to show any signs of betrayal.

But on the offhand. . .instead he was showing signs of . . .interest in Kagome, to put it lightly. He definitely didn't like the way he's been looking at his Kagome lately. He growled at what came next in the conversation, something that for sure made his blood boil.

**oxoxoxoxo**

Kagome nervously twiddled with the plushie's fur. 'I can't believe I'm going to tell him!' Sesshomaru continued to stare at her, waiting patiently for the answer. The wind blew gently, and Kagome had a wistful look on her face as she gazed at his silver tresses swaying in tune with the wind.

"The reason is. . ." she began, and his eyes flickered, all attention was focused solely on her. She swallowed. "The reason is. . .I've been having these dreams lately. . ."

"A dream?" He questioned, Kagome nodded in response.

"Yeah, and in it, I was. . .I don't know. . .It sounds weird but. . ." He waited patiently for her to finish, but the suspense was killing him! "I was riding on a . . .on a giant silver dog. . ." Sesshomaru's eyes flashed momentarily in surprise, but his mask stayed in place. Kagome waited for him to comment on it, but when he didn't, she continued.

"It was so much fun too. . ." she said wistfully, "He took me higher and higher, almost leaping off of the clouds! I felt like I was flying!" She went on like an excited child, and Sesshomaru listened as she spoke of the dream with the utmost fondness. "Oh, Sessho-kun. . .it felt so real! We were up so high. . .it was almost as if I could reach out to the moon and touch it. . ." Kagome held out her hand to the blue sky as she described the scene. Sesshomaru held back the urge to reach out his own hand and lace his fingers with hers. He swallowed.

"Did you?" He asked softly, and at hearing this, Kagome giggled, the sound coming like melodic bells.

"Well, I tried to. . ." she finally said. "It didn't work out too well. I ended up falling to the earth," Her hands fell back into her lap, and her eyes shielded from his view by her midnight bangs.

"In your dream, did you die?" He asked her, though he was not sure why he was so interested in how the dream ended. Kagome still didn't look at him, but instead focused on a particularly interesting patch of grass.

"No," she whispered. "The giant silver dog. . .he caught me. . ." Sesshomaru said nothing, his heart quickening it's pace. "I remembered, feeling so safe as soon as he was with me. When we were on the ground. . .I was so happy and grateful. I turned around to hug him. . .he was soooo fluffy," she giggled, affection apparently in her voice. He raised an eyebrow at her. 'So that's why she named it fluffy.'

His breath became caught in his throat, however, when Kagome finally lifted her head to lock his golden gaze with her sapphire ones.

"It was you. . .Sessho," She finally finished. It seemed like an eternity passed as they stayed like that, just staring at each other. Everything else seemed to melt away, as the demon lord finally let the words seep into every fiber of his being. 'She's been dreaming of me. . .' He felt warm, and not the aroused, fiery passion warm, but the happy, elated warmth.

The girl that he had so unwillingly fallen for had been dreaming of him. He watched as her full, pink lips curved into a sweet smile.

"How long?" He ended up asking. She cocked her head to the side.

"Huh?"

"How long have you been having this dream?" He asked again, in a slower and gentler tone. She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear, and a slight blush stained her cheeks.

"Ano. . .I'm not sure when it started, but I've been having the same dream every night now for quite a while," She began to blush even redder, and turned her face away in an attempt to hide it from him.

He frowned. He wanted to see her blush, wanted to see the pretty color of pink that her cheeks turned, wanted to feel the heat radiating off of her skin. He sat down beside her and placed a hooked finger under her chin. Lifting her gaze to his, he resisted the temptation to caress her heated cheeks with his lips, and slowly work his way over to her own full lips and taste her.

Instead, he settled at just looking at her beautifully flushed face. And although he knew her to be embarrassed from not only their nearness to one another but at her confessed dream, he felt satisfaction that he was the reason why she blushing now.

"I have dreams of you too, Kagome. . ." Sesshomaru suddenly started, and Kagome's eyes became as wide as saucers. Looking at his golden orbs, she found him staring at her as if he was in a trance-'Like this morning when we were. . .'

"Sessho, I-" she was silenced when he placed a clawed finger to her dainty lips.

"Shhh," he soothed, causing Kagome to shudder under his touch, "Do you want to know. . .what I dream of as well?" His words spilled forth from his lips as if he were unable to stop them, like he was saying all these things unconsciously. "I'll show you. . ."

Once again she felt the beating of her heart accelerating, as his lips came closer to hers. His breath caressed her skin, and unconsciously, she leaned in also, 'Just to see what it feels like. . .'

"GET YOU'RE FUCKING HANDS OFFA KAGOME, YOU BASTARD!" Faster than lightning, Sesshomaru, swept Kagome into his arms and dodged Inuyasha's claws as it swiped into the air that his Sesshomaru used to be. He growled dangerously as Sesshomaru landed nearby, carrying a quite shocked Kagome, who blinked in surprise.

His hand grasped Tetsusaiga's hilt. He couldn't take it anymore! Listening to their entire conversation. At first, he felt glad that Kagome would put her vow to him above all else. . .but that dream, and when his brother almost. . .and she didn't even---

"I SAID GET YOU'RE FUCKING HANDS OFFA HER!" He screamed, preparing to strike once more. He was going to rip Kagome out of his brother's cold, dead arms if he had to.

"INUYASHA! SIT!" Thump His attempt failed, as Kagome screamed the word of his weakness. But to her surprise, he was fighting it, and his eyes flared dangerously at his brother.

"Don't even think of protecting him now," Inuyasha breathed, his frame shaking slightly as he lifted his body from the ground. The beads around his neck glowed furiously, but he was still fighting them. Kagome's eyes widened, and she suddenly feared for Sesshomaru's safety, even though she knew full well he didn't need her protection, she quickly said the incantation again.

"SIT!" Once again, Inuyasha hurtled to the ground, cursing. The children, and other adults watched as the scene before them played out. Rin and Shippo stopped their playing, and the little girl ran up to the demon lord who still held the miko firmly in his arm.

"Sesshomaru-sama, why were Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-sama fighting again?" They both looked down at the child, and sighing, Sesshomaru settled Kagome back on her feet.

"I should take my leave. It is obvious that I have worn out my welcome," He said icily, though when he looked at Kagome, his eyes shown with regret and longing. Kagome nodded at him, a little shaken at what had just transpired. 'Nothing makes sense!'

"Hurry, before the spell wears off," she urged. He called for Jaken and Rin to his side, and the cloud began to form at his feet. Before taking off, he stood in front of her, and drew his hand up to touch her face.

"Thank you, Kagome-chan," he whispered, and although his face remained stoic, his eyes betrayed him, as every emotion flickered across his golden depths. Unable to contain herself, she launched herself at him, her arms snaked around his neck in a tight hug.

"You called me Kagome-chan. . ." She said happily. He stood there, frozen before his own arms snaked around her waist, and he held her close to him, inhaling her sweet scent. He had been dreading this departure, dreading the time to face the reality of having to be separated from her. 'We do not belong together,' he thought sadly, and yet he could not ignore how perfectly she molded against his embrace.

Gods, how he just wanted to take her with him, to never feel this emptiness again. Sesshomaru held onto her tighter, as if the single act alone could make all his wishes come true. Hesitantly, he loosened his grip when he felt her pull away. She smiled warmly at him, and he felt the extent of her friendship. 'We'll never be more than friends.'

Going on her tiptoes, Sesshomaru's eyes widened when her lips brushed against his cheek. Pulling back, she blushed as he brought his hand up to where he had felt the whisper of skin. Smiling, she stepped away from him.

"See you around, 'kay?" She said affectionately, as if bantering with a friend. 'If I cannot have her love, then I will gladly accept her friendship. To be near her and protect her if nothing else.' Slipping his mask back on, he nodded and soon his cloud lifted from the ground.

"Bye, Kagome-neesan!" Rin waved back, and Kagome along with the others waved back.

As the Inu-tachi became smaller and smaller until they were nothing but a speck from above, all of Sesshomaru's thoughts remained on the miko he had left behind. 'Yes, we shall meet again soon, for I, Sessomaru, promise to protect you.'

**oxoxoxoxoxo**

"Why did you let him go?" Inuyasha asked in a shockingly calm, yet hurt voice. Kagome could only look at her lap. The air grew still around them, and it was deathly quiet. It was just the two of them, Inuyasha and Kagome. The others had left them alone, saying that they had headed back to the village.

"I couldn't let you hurt him, he's my friend. . ." she answered weakly, and her heart began to ache. She wondered why. 'Is that ALL he really is to me?' Inuyasha continued to have his back turned to her, and Kagome didn't even try to get him to look at her.

"How close are you?" He asked her, his voice slowly becoming accusing. She gazed at his back.

"Inuyasha. . ."

"I SAID, How close are you?" He demanded. Kagome felt her anger rising.

"What's it to you? It's not like you care! Why should you when you have KIKYO?!" That got his attention, and his turned violently around at her, his amber eyes flared.

"Leave Kikyo out of this! She's got nothing to do with my brother!" He spat back.

"Why are you so stuck on this? Are you jealous? Is that it?!"

"No! Why should I be jealous of my bastard of a brother?!"

"I don't know! You tell me!" She screamed back at him, and he grabbed onto her shoulders tightly, causing her to wince slightly. Inuyasha stared at her almost pleadingly.

"Because only I can hold you like this!" He crushed her body against his, and Kagome stood shocked as he held tightly onto her, almost desperately as if he was afraid he might lose her.

"Why are you doing this?" He refused to let her go, but the question echoed in his mind. 'Why am I doing all of this?' He tensed as the vision of a priestess came into his mind. 'She's the only part of Kikyo that I have left. . .she shares her soul,' But he knew he couldn't tell her that, she'd leave him for sure! He instead reamained silent. Kagome's eyes flickered with guilt, and she returned the embrace almost unwillingly.

"Inuyasha, long ago, I promised to stay by your side," she said softly, and her vision became blurry as tears pricked at her eyes. She didn't feel the safe, warm feeling she once did in his arms. Not too long ago, she would've given anything to be where in his embrace, but now. . . 'What if he's not embracing me. But Kikyo?' Still. . . "And I have, and always will stay by you. No matter what. So don't you ever worry," she finished, her voice becoming cracked as tears slid down her face.

Inuyasha stiffened when he felt the hot tears seep through his clothes. The scent of her tears heavily permeated the air. His chest tightened, 'She's crying,' was it because of him? Did he make her cry? Inuyasha became possessive when he came to a thought. 'What if she's crying over my brother? What if she regrets making that vow to me.' No! He couldn't believe it, he won't!

He held her closer as she cried into his red hoari. All the while, Kagome could only think of the two brothers. She wanted to keep her promise to Inuyasha, more than anything, but she guiltily wanted to be in Sessomaru's embrace instead of Inuyasha's at the moment. 'No, I'll stand by his side. Even if I'm nothing but a shadow of Kikyo's.'

Kagome felt so lost. What were these emotions that were beginning to surface for the demon lord? And more importantly, why did she want them?

**oxoxoxoxoxoxo**

Her raven locks swayed in the ominous wind, as she her chocolate brown eyes glared icily down at the hanyou embracing her reincarnation. From the cliff, Kikyo turned away from the scene and made off towards a dark looming castle in the distance. Her whole being seethed with hatred for the girl that so closely resembled herself. 'She is stealing Inuysha away from me, I will not let her win. He will go to hell with me.'

**oxoxoxoxoxoxo**

The shoji door slid open, and Naraku turned his head slowly to face the undead miko standing in the doorway. His lips curved into a malicious smile.

"Ah, Kikyo, I was expecting you." She glared at him, and stepped inside. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Kikyo stood in front of him, her icy façade not once slipping.

"If you were expecting me then I suspect you already know the reason as to why I am here," She saw his smirk grow wider, and she evenly matched it with hers.

"It is about Inuyasha and that reincarnation on yours," His eyes glittered malevolently when he saw her nod.

"That bitch is straying Inuyasha from his promise to me. I fear that at this rate, she will be successful in persuading him to stay with her," Her voice dripped with bitterness as she spoke of Kagome.

"What do you want me to do about it?" He asked innocently.

"Remind him of his obligations and love to me! Inuyasha WILL go to hell with me!" She nearly screamed at him, and Naraku steadily stood up from his sitting position. He walked slowly over to her, his form almost like a looming shadow in the dark room.

"And what's in it for me?" Kikyo's eyes glinted for a second with mischief, and her lips curved into a seductive smile. Her hand flew up to the top of her kimono, and she pushed down the fabric, revealing her deathly pale skin to him. Naraku's eyes widened as it darkened over with lust.

"But what of Inuyasha?" She smiled still, and pushed up against him so he could feel her breasts against his chest.

"I hold no feelings for the hanyou, and I don't care what happens to him. So long as he comes with me to hell in the end." She whispered. Naraku smirked and lowered his head to close the distance between them, claiming his prize.

**oxoxoxoxoxoxo**

'Disgusting,' Kagura felt revulsion wash over her entire being as moans and screams could be heard coming from Naraku's room. She wrinkled her nose as the stench of their mating wafted through her nostrils; it was enough to make her throw up. The disgusting smell that was Naraku mixed in with the smell of earth, bones, and death didn't help either. Kagura knew Naraku was low, but to stoop so low as to rut with a corpse.

'Well, seeing as he was once a corpse himself. . .I think it fits,' still, Kagura could not help but feel sympathy for the girl that looked so much like Kikyo. She had been listening in on their entire conversation, and was well aware of their plans to rip the miko away from her hanyou.

Although over the past few days that she had been watching the group, she had to conclude that the girl's feelings towards Inuyasha had changed somewhat. Especially since the Taiyoukai of the West became more involved with the Inu-tachi.

Kagura inwardly smirked at the irony of it all, that Sessomaru, the ice prince who claimed he hated all humans fell in love with one. And Inuyasha's wench no less! She wanted to laugh, but the truth of the matter was, more than anything, she felt sad for them. When she had passed by earlier that day, and managed to catch a glimpse of the group below, she saw them embracing. And it dawned on her that they looked completely, and without a doubt perfect with each other. But she also knew, as well as they did, that it could never be.

She was secretly envious of them, for they looked so free and happy in that one moment---something that she could not be. Kagura had willed herself to hate Kagome, but as time passed on, she grew to respect the girl, and look up to her. No one held the fire and spirit that she held, and despite all the obstacles that had been thrown at her, she had not broken.

Kagura grimaced at the thought of having Naraku destroy something so pure. Deep in her soul, she knew Naraku was terrified of the little miko. She was perhaps the only one who truly stood in his way. She grinned; she will be the one to vanquish Naraku, and set her and her sister, Kanna free. But she can't do it if her fire is lost.

Mind set, Kagura left the castle and pulled out a feather from her hair. In an instant, it grown a hundred fold bigger, and as she rode on the wind, her thoughts were locked onto one gaol: She would try to rescue the miko from the pain that was to come. But she knew she couldn't directly do it herself. Naraku would kill her, and the wind sorceress didn't want to die without knowing what it was like to be free. No, instead she knew someone else that would willingly give his life for her.

Kagura flew off to the West, hoping that her plan would work. 'Naraku will not win.'

**End Chapter**

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! No flames please. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR PREVIOUS REVIEWS!


	19. If You Truly Care

**A/N**

Okay, sorry for the long wait. I had a little trouble. Some of you know that I have been writing for a LONG TIME. Well, I am a constant victim of PLAGIARIZERS. I've been stolen from ten times actually, and counting. I truly hate and loathall those who claim to be fans, then go and backstab you when you least expect, claiming work that isn't their's. Don't think that you can get away wit it! ALL FANFIC WORKS ARE PROPERTY OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR! I tire of this game, and I don't appreciate working so hard to create something only to have it taken from me by some talentless posers...

BTW, If you wish to read the FULL, UNCUT, AND COMPLETE VERSION OF THIS FIC, please visit my BIO-PAGE FOR THE LINKS TO THE OTHER SITES I POST! You can find it under a little section called "Where Else Posted." Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** All glorious rights and credit goes to Rumiko Takahashi. Damn her and her brilliant mind.

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 19: If You Truly Care**

Naraku pulled up the top of his hoari, finishing up dressing himself. He sent a crimson glance over his shoulder at the dead priestess, who still lay naked and asleep on the futon. A disgusting smirk crossed his lips. Everything was falling into place just as he liked. The unexpected love triangle that had manifested itself between Inuyasha, Sesshomaru, and the miko had brought on interesting propositions for him. Including the self-doubt and conflict that was beginning to form in the group.

And it is because of that self-doubt and conflict that gave him a small opening to tear them apart. And for the first time, he himself did not cause their growing distrust. No, the demon lord and miko from the future did if for him. But this in turn made the hanyou jealous of his own half-brother, and in a desperate attempt, tries to keep the girl for himself.

The gloating Naraku turned around when he heard his new mate stir awake. Soon, he will have everything he so desired. Due to the little scene Inuyasha and Kagome displayed, it threw Kikyo straight into his waiting arms. And now, all that was left to do was to finish the job of breaking their bond, and take the rest of the jewel.

Kikyo slowly sat up, clutching the covers over herself, and smiling malevolently over at Naraku.

"Slept well, koi?" He asked in a drippingly smug voice. Her chocolate eyes glinted in the dark.

"Yes, especially because I was dreaming of Inuyasha and that reincarnation of mine drowning in a sea of their own sorrows and the look on that girl's face when I take that hanyou into hell with me." She replied, a bittersweet tone to her voice. Naraku chuckled, and kneeled beside her.

"Today," He started smiling, "Today it begins. We'll make that dream of yours a reality," He whispered, and his mind flashed to the ever so innocent face of Kagome. How he'd enjoy seeing it contort in pain and agony. 'All it takes is one small opening. . .'

* * *

"Can you move any slower people?" Inuyasha called to the others trailing behind. Rolling his eyes, Miroku suddenly smirked and started walking in slow motion, winking at the others to do the same. Giggling, they all joined along in the "turtle" walk, getting quite into it and laughing when they saw their hanyou friend almost fall over at the sight of then. Even Kirara was doing a pretty good job.

"That's not what I meant, you bakas!" He huffed angrily, his face growing red when they continued to laugh at him. He hated being teased or poked fun at, and the worst part of it was they all knew and were doing it on purpose.

"But Inuyasha, isn't this what you wanted?" Shippo asked innocently. He sent a glare over at the little kitsune.

"For your information, it's a little thing I like to call sarcasm! But I guess you all are too stupid to know what I'm talking about!" He replied, a small smirk formed at his lips.

"Ah, I guess you know a thing or two about stupidity, don't you my dear friend?" Miroku added amiably, and the smirk disappeared from Inuyasha's face. He jumped right in front of the monk, amber eyes glinting in anger.

"What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Sango couldn't help but giggle slightly at their antics. She noticed that she was alone in her laughter, and turned over to Kagome, who had suddenly become still and quiet.

"Kagome?" The miko jumped at the sound of her name, and glanced over at the older girl. "C'mon, lighten up a bit! We're allowed to squabble like good friends, right?" She pointed over at the scene of Inuyasha strangling a goofily smirking Miroku.

"Yeah, Kagome-chan, even you have to admit that's funny," Shippo said, hoping to cheer his okaa-san. Ever since Sesshomaru's departure the other day, Kagome had been slightly less enthusiastic. The kitsune pup had a suspicion that Inuyasha may have had something to do with it too, but either way, it didn't make him too happy to see his surrogate mother depressed.

But as she stood there, her eyes glued straight ahead with a sudden look of awareness in her stance, Sango and Shippo had a feeling this had more to do than with just her "depression."

"It's not that. . ." Kagome said softly, and Miroku and Inuyasha abruptly stopped their little squabble. Inuyasha was by her side in an instant.

"Kagome, what is it?" He asked sternly. She gave him a grave look, grasping her part of the jewel.

"I can feel him. . .he's getting closer. . ." She said slowly, the others looked at her confusedly.

"Who's getting closer?" Sango carefully asked, and Shippo clung onto her sailor shirt tighter. He could smell the nervousness from his momma. She drew him closer in return, and edged closer to Inuyasha.

"Can you hear them?" Kagome asked him, and Inuyasha's amber eyes widened for a moment before his ears twitched into an alert position. A sudden silence ushered over the group, and everything went still as the wind blew dust and leaves all around them.

Before long, the sound of buzzing insects floated through the air, and everyone averted their gaze upwards to see a swarm of poisonous insects coming their way. Amidst the horde of Naraku's army of insects was a dark cloud that carried a small dark figure, with blank, emotionless eyes.

Kagome heard Sango gasp beside her and turned her attention to her seemingly shocked friend.

"K-Kohaku. . ." She muttered in a torn voice. Kagome resisted the urge to draw her into a comforting hug, and instead readied her bow and arrows. Hesitantly, Sango did the same, pulling off her kimono, revealing the taija outfit underneath. Pulling her hair back into a ponytail, she sniffled back threatening tears as Miroku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Nodding, she held her haraikotsu over her shoulder readily.

"Alright, everyone!" Inuyasha called to them, "Here they come!"

They all stood ready as the dark cloud descended upon them, and the insects were soon swarming around the group, almost creating a cage for the battle arena.

Kohaku slowly stood up from his kneeling position, and stared blankly at the Inu-tachi. Sango took the first step towards him.

"Brother. . .what is it that you. . ." He continued to look at her with the same, emotionless façade. Slowly, but surely, he lifted his curved blade to point at her.

"I'm here for," The blade's point moved from Sango, to Kagome, and Inuyasha's eyes widened in anger. "Her." He answered in a monotone voice.

* * *

He fingered the glossy photo as if straightening imaginary wrinkles. Gently running over the lines of Kagome's face as if he could almost feel her soft skin through the picture. Sighing, Sesshomaru slipped the strip of film back to its' place in the book, right beside the blue forget-me-not flower she had also given him so long ago. He ran a claw over each reminder he had of her, and almost scoffed.

Not too long ago, he would've wanted more than anything to just rid himself of the mere thought of her. But now. . .now he cherished every memory, every moment he got to spend with her. The very idea of having himself eradicated of her was. . .utterly heinous. Even if the pain of knowing that she belonged to another tormented him, he felt he wouldn't trade it for the world. For he, the once cold, unfeeling Taiyoukai of the West, had tasted what it was like to be in love. And for what it was worth, he embraced the pain.

"Sesshomaru-sama?" The demon lord drew from his musings to look down at the girl tugging on his sleeve. Rin looked up at her surrogate father with pleading eyes, her stuffed bear clutched in one hand. He patted her head.

"What is it, Rin?" He asked her gently, leading her over to where the cushions were. He sat down, and she readily climbed onto his lap, snuggling into his fur, and looking up at his tired, flawless face.

"Why is Sesshomaru-sama sad?" She asked innocently, and Sesshomaru looked at her in the same expressionless way. But it was clear to the child, that even though his mask told her otherwise, his eyes shone with a deep longing and sadness---one that could only be associated when missing someone.

"Rin misses Kagome-neesan too," Was all she said, burying her face into his tail. The demon lord held the little girl closer, and ruffled her hair affectionately. Although she was only a child of seven, he found her to be wise beyond her years. She simply lacked the vocabulary to express her thoughts, but it took just the simplest of her words to understand how she felt.

Sesshomaru felt a light tug on his tail, and averted his gaze back to Rin, who gave him a questioning look.

"Sesshomaru-sama, if things were different. . .Does Sesshomaru-sama think Kagome-neesan could be Rin's okaa-san?" It was all he could do to just stare at her, not knowing how to respond. His thoughts wandered briefly as a mental image flashed in his mind of them being a family. But just as quickly, he shook himself out of such ridiculous fantasies. 'Do not dwell on such wishes,' he chided himself. But he could not bring himself to say the same to the little girl in his lap.

"If things were different, Rin," He started, "Perhaps she could have." Satisfied with the answer, the little girl gave her Sesshomaru-sama a comforting, toothy grin, and crawled off of his lap.

"Sesshomaru-sama, come with Rin and pick flowers!" She urged enthusiastically. Resisting the temptation to sigh in affectionate annoyance, he got up from his seat to take her hand as she lead the way to the gardens. But halfway to the door, Sesshomaru stopped and the child found herself trying to move a completely frozen demon lord.

He lifted his nose to the air, and sniffed in the scent of a certain wind sorceress. Growling slightly, he turned tightened his hold on Rin's hand.

"Go to Jaken, and stay with him. Do not go outside, do you understand? Stay in your room," He ordered her. Not fully understanding, she nodded and ran off in search of her green toad of a gaurdian.

A huge gust of demonic wind blew, and rattled the windows of his library. Sending a glaring gaze in the direction of the balcony, the windows burst open, and there standing under the orange sky of the setting sun, was the silhouette of Kagura.

A low growl formed in the back of his throat at the sight of her.

"Wench, you are trespassing," He stated simply. Kagura jumped from her perch and entered the room.

"I'm not here to do any harm," She said calmly, "I have some information for you concerning Naraku." Before she could step any closer, Sesshomaru had drawn Tokijin from his sash and had it promptly pointed at her.

"I have no business with that hanyou's spawn, and I could care less about him. Leave in peace, or I shall see to it that you leave in pieces," He warned her icily, his cold mask firmly in place. Kagura smirked, her fan opening to cover her smile.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," She said in a singsong voice, causing the demon lord to narrow his eyes in anger. His grip on Tokijin tightened, sending a single electric blade to cut the side of Kagura's cheek. She glared at him.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't slay you where you stand." Folding her fan, her face dead set serious, she let out a breath she had not even realized she had been holding in.

"It involves your miko, and if you truly care for her—even just a bit, you'll listen to what I have to say." Sesshomaru glared at the wind sorceress before him, and sniffed her scent slightly. She wasn't lying. His eyes never left her face as he lowered the blade.

"Continue," he said expressionlessly.

* * *

They were winning. . .they were actually winning. Inuyasha felt a sudden sense of triumph come over him, as his Tetsusaiga slashed through rows and rows of Naraku's demons. He watched with a sense of pride as his friends, though wounded pretty badly, were faring quite well on their own. Perhaps this was it, this was the day that they'd defeat Naraku.

"Kaze no Kizu!" Inuyasha yelled out, slashing through the wind scar and slaughtering the remaining youkai. They disintegrated until there was nothing left, and throwing a smirk at their "general" he held the Tetsusaiga over his shoulder.

"Heh," guess your army' gone," He said in a cocky tone at Kohaku. The others quickly ran to his side, and awaited for what would happen next. It was just him now, Kohaku, and Sango felt relief well inside her at finally being able to free him. But before she could run to her younger brother, Kagome stopped her.

"No, Sango!" She said sternly, and the two girls gazed back to what was in front of them. From seemingly out of nowhere, Naraku in his trademark baboon pelt stepped out of the shadows and besides Kohaku. An eerie fog began to form all around them, but even in the white haze, they could still see him smirking through the miasma.

"Naraku," Inuyasha breathed, his voice dripped in hatred. He only chuckled in response.

"Happy to see me?" He asked in an almost pleasant voice. Kagome glared at him, while Inuyasha stepped in front of her.

"It ends today, Naraku!" He spat. The hanyou only smirked wider, and he lifted a hand to wrap around Kohaku's neck. Sango's eyes widened in fear.

"No! Don't!" She cried out. This only caused him to laugh and he slipped off his mask, crimson eyes glinting malevolently at the group.

"Don't what? End his life? He has already died, my dear Sango. All I have to do to send him back to the grave is. . ." His hand slipped from Kohakus' neck to his back, where she knew the jewel shard to be embedded.

"Stop!" Kagome shouted, and Naraku did just that, staring amusedly at the feisty girl.

"How about we trade? Your miko, for this boy?" He watched as pure shock ran through each and everyone of them.

"NO FUCKING WAY, BASTARD!" Inuyasha lunged towards him, only to be pinned to a tree by an outstretched tentacle. Wincing in pain, he sent daggers over at the hanyou.

"Stay out of this," He said smugly. "Interfere, and I'll pierce it right through your bleeding heart."

Kagome's chest tightened as her eyes averted from Kohaku to Inuyasha. Then to the torn Sango beside her, who had a stream of tears falling from her brown orbs. Swallowing, she knew she had no choice, and stepped towards Naraku.

"No, Kagome, what're you doing?!" Sango asked, clutching her arm. Miroku too, was giving her a rather shocked and confused look.

"I have to, Sango. For Kohaku. . .and Inuyasha. . ." She whispered.

"No! I won't let you!" Shippo clung onto his mother, and cried freely into her clothing. But in an instant all of her friends were seemingly swatted away, as she felt strong tentacles wrap around her frame, and pulling her towards the evil hanyou.

"It's a deal then," Naraku breathed. Kagome glared at him, looking back at her friends sprawled, injured, on the forest floor.

"You, bastard," Inuyasha spat. Laughing insanely, Naraku took to the sky, taking Kagome and Kohaku along with him.

* * *

He ran using his demonic speed, hoping to reach her in time before it was too late. According to Kagura, Naraku was planning to. . . 'Kami I hope she's safe,' he hoped against hope. As the smell of Naraku became stronger, his pace became faster. He had to see for himself if she was safe. That she wasn't in Naraku's clutches.

'I can't lose her!' A miasma was beginning to fog the area, and Sesshomaru knew he was close. He came to an area heavily scented with the smell of blood, tears, and Naraku. But it also lingered with a scent he recognized to be Kagome's. Growling, he scanned the area to see Inuyasha and his companions lying wounded on the deserted battlefield. Except one person was missing. 'No. . .'

His eyes grew blood red, as he stormed to where his half-brother struggled to stand, and in an instant, he had Inuyasha held into the air by the scruff of his front hoari.

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

**End Chapter**

* * *

READ AND REVIEW! No flames please.

**IMPORTANT!**

Can't stand the suspense? If you wish to read the FULL, UNCUT, AND COMPLETE VERSION OF THIS FIC, please visit my BIO-PAGE FOR THE LINKS TO THE OTHER SITES I POST! You can find it under a little section called "Where Else Posted." Thank you.


	20. Let Your Instincts Guide You

**A/N**

Terribly sorry for the cliffy, those of you who waited to see me update on this site. Here is the next chapter, but first!

**IMPORTANT!**

If you are impatient about waiting for my weekly updates on this fic, THERE IS A COMPLETE, UNCUT VERSION on other sites that I post! **You can find these links on my Bio-page, under the section listed as "Where Else Posted" **

_Another Important Note! _For now, it seems as if both "The Killing Perfection," and "A Single Spark" is down, so the only site that you can see my fic is on You can still find the link to that site and read it from there. Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** I own Inuyasha! The world has come to an end! Naraku's giving away all of his jewel shards for charity and Miroku just announced that he's gay!

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 20: Let Your Instincts Guide You**

'It's so cold,' her mind seemed to wriggle out that one thought as she came out of her dark haze. Slowly opening her eyes, she blinked several times to clear up the fog that blurred her vision. When she finally took in her surroundings, she found that she was in a very dark room---a dungeon most likely. A white, searing pain shot through her entire body, and a mind-blowing headache fell on her like a ton of bricks.

She wanted to bring a hand up to clutch her throbbing head, but found that her hands—as well as her whole body, was bound in cold chains.

"H-Hey! What gives?!" Kagome struggled against the chains, but found that whoever tied her up did a VERY good job on it. Her blood ran cold when she heard a spine tingling chuckle echo off of the prison walls.

"Like the chains, miko? I had then custom made just for you," Naraku's looming figure stepped from the shadows, his crimson eyes glinting malevolently with satisfaction. Kagome glared at him, and her bound hands clenched into tight fists behind her back.

"Naraku. . ." she began, "What are you planning to do with me? If it's the Shikon shards you want, you're not getting them!" His smile grew wider, making her shudder.

"My dear, I'm not interested in the shards today." he replied, and Kagome widened her eyes in confusion.

"Then what. . ."

"Miko, you are merely the bait," Naraku waved his hand, and the prison door opened for him. As he stepped inside the dark cell, she instinctively flattened herself against the wall. He kneeled down so that they were at eye level, and ran a finger down her cheek. Kagome jerked away and gave him a look of pure resentment.

"Don't touch me," she spat. Naraku froze for a second before letting out a malicious laugh.

"When you look at me like that, when you speak as you do. . ." he went on, and his hand shot out to grasp her chin firmly so that she was forced to look at him. "you remind me of Kikyo. . ." Kagome's anger suddenly flared ten fold and in an instant her body began to glow in a bright, pink light. A hot, searing white pain shot up Naraku's hand, causing him to release her chin.

The chains bound on her body began crackling with black electricity, causing her to scream out in pain. Just as quickly the pinkish light died away, and Kagome curled up into a ball on the cold, hard ground. Her whole body felt like flames were licking at it, and all thoughts were erased as she could only focus on the immense pain that flooded her body.

"Wench," he snarled, cradling his scarred hand. "I thought you might try something like that. That's what those chains are for. Their forged to contain your powers, and I imagine you must feel quite tortured at the moment."

"What is it that you're planning?" She managed to choke out as the waves of pain were finally dying. He glared at her, and loomed over her curled body.

"YOU," he growled, "Are in my way." Slowly, Kagome managed to get into a sitting position once more. She winced as the chains dug deep into her flesh as she did so.

"So, you're trying to get rid of me. . .and at the same time get rid of Inuyasha," He chuckled at her, and shook his head in an amused manner.

"It's quite more complicated than THAT! My dear, Kagome, your hanyou poses no real threat to me ALONE. But with you. . ." He approached her again, "Why break your body, when I can break your spirit? That is what your miko powers feed off of."

He sneered at her before getting up to leave. She watched him leave the dungeon, and her tears began to prick at her eyes. She shut them tight, willing herself not to cry. Would Inuyasha come to save her? She feared for his safety, and what did he mean by breaking her spirit?

A silver vision suddenly flashed in her mind. 'Inuyasha?' A sudden feeling of warmth and longing seeped in when she realized who it was that crossed her mind. The feeling of safety that she felt when she was in his arms, and how she wished to be there now.

"Sesshomaru. . ." she whispered into the darkened dungeon.

Naraku closed the shoji door that lead to the prisons, smirking to himself as she was left alone with her thoughts.

"So, how is my reincarnation?" He turned his head to look at the priestess leaning against the wall, shadows cloaking half of her body. He smiled and held out a hand for her, which she took.

"She will be broken soon enough, koi. Such a waste though, she had such fire. . ." Kikyo narrowed his eyes at him.

"The whole point of this is to put that fire out. . .Once she's gone nothing will stand in the way of what we want," Naraku nodded, bringing her cold hands to his lips for a kiss.

"It won't be long now."

* * *

His eyes remained glued straight ahead, his silver hair bellowing behind him like a silk cape, and all of his thoughts remained on her, 'Kagome.' Below his whispy cloud, he spotted his half-brother from the corner of his eye, leaping from tree to tree. A growl formed in the back of his throat and his fists clenched in anger. 

Sesshomaru would've killed him for his carelessness if only he hadn't known that Kagome would probably hate him for it. But that did not stop the growing rage and hatred that grew each second as they continued their pursuit. He had left his precious Kagome in Inuyasha's care, trusted---yes trusted him to protect her, and the next thing he knew she's in the hands of Naraku.

His whole being ached to see her once more, to hold her in his arms just to know that she was safe. He knew he couldn't blame it all entirely on Inuyasha, because according to the group's retelling of the story, it seems that Naraku had left her with no other choice. She had willingly given herself up to save her friends---to save Inuyasha.

How his blood boiled over in anger at that thought. His half-brother was completely undeserving of her loyalty. . .her love. No, Sesshomaru took back what he thought earlier. It WAS all Inuyasha's fault. If only Kagome wasn't such a loyal, unselfish person. . .but then again, it were those attributes along with others that caused him to respect her.

"Kagome. . .gomen. . ." Sesshomaru heard his brother muttering from below, and his ears could catch the regret and guilt written in his voice. He looked to the quickly darkening sky and couldn't help but think of the same thing. 'Kagome, gomen. . .'

It was silent, everything was deathly silent. Save for the sound of the wind and the rustling of the trees that signified each of Inuyasha's leaps. It was just the two of them going after Naraku. The others were too wounded to follow, and had been left behind at Kaede's hut. 'A good thing too, they would've merely slowed us down.'

"Hey, Sesshomaru!" The demon lord sent a glaring gaze in the Inuyasha's direction, but the hanyou paid no heed to it and continued. "Why do you care so much about Kagome's safety anyway?" He asked, still jumping from the treetops to keep up with him. He had to know what was his motivation, why his brother's eyes bled crimson when he found out of Kagome's predicament. And why he was helping him rush to retrieve her this very instant.

Sesshomaru averted his golden eyes to the scene ahead of him. Did he dare tell Inuyasha the truth? That he was in love with the miko? That he was in love with Kagome? His brother could not possibly understand, and quite possibly might use this as an excuse to break off their alliance. And right now, no matter how much he despised the idea, Inuyasha might be useful in Naraku's downfall and Kagome's rescue. He would stomach his brother for her sake.

Finding that he was answered with nothing but silence, Inuyasha growled in impatience and called out to Sesshomaru again.

"Answer me!" Still, he didn't even spare a glance back at him, but instead remained silent. After a moment however, he decided to break it.

"She is a friend, and a valuable ally," he said stoically. The hanyou narrowed his eyes at him, he could tell there was more to it than that. Otherwise he wouldn't have gotten so angry.

"Is that all?" Again, silence. The streaks of silver cloud continued to whisp behind them, and as the sky looked as if it were bleeding from the light of the barely visible crimson moon, Sesshomaru whispered in a barely audible voice devoid of his usual ice.

"I vowed to protect her as well, little brother." Those were the last words exchanged between the two half-brothers before the looming castle and thick miasma of Naraku came into view.

Getting ever closer, they went back to their deathly silence, finding that it was far more comfortable. And as Inuyasha watched the Taiyoukai fly overhead, he couldn't help but feel that he DID respect his brother on some level. But at the same time, a deep loathing grew inside of him. It screamed with jealousy and the unshakable thought of Sesshomaru possibly and most likely having feelings for his Kagome.

* * *

It was suffocating being here. The mere fact that she was in Naraku's grasp. . .it was too much. This whole castle held his stench, and she didn't have to be a demon to sense that. The whole atmosphere was just so heavily permeated with a melancholy yet malevolent aura that it was—again, suffocating. 

She hated feeling so helpless, feeling as if she needed saving all the time. But she had no choice, she was bound with chains that suppressed her powers, and Inuyasha. . .she hoped he was alright. But he was wounded when she had last saw him. Who was there left?

"Do not worry," A feminine voice called out from the shadows. Kagome's eyes darted around the dark room and her sapphire pools rested on a shadow she recognized to be. . .

"Kagura. . ." The wind sorceress revealed herself to the miko, a look of seriousness on her face.

"He will come for you," she said cryptically. Kagome looked questioningly at her, and just by her mere presence, her aura, she could tell she didn't mean any harm.

"Who?" She asked meekly. Kagura stepped closer to her, and a small smile graced her lips.

"I can see why he chose you. . .Kagome." The demoness stared at her in an almost friendly way, and her silky red eyes softened when Kagome still gave her a confused look.

"Who chose me? Who's coming?" She waited with anticipation for the answer, and as Kagura closed her eyes, smile still firmly in place, she whispered so that only she could hear.

"Your demon lord."

Kagome's eyes widened with shock. 'Sesshomaru?'

"H-how? How do you know?" She only gave her an amused look, and shook her head. Her bangs covered her eyes, and she said nothing as she opened the door to her cell. Helping her to her feet, It was then that the miko realized what Kagura meant.

"Thank you, Kagura," she said softly. The demoness paused for a while, staring into the dark abyss.

"No matter what Naraku tries, you must not let your spirit break." With those last words, she pulled Kagome to her feet, and held onto her arm as they left the dungeon. Confused, Kagome could only follow.

"Where are we going?" Kagura stared at her, a dark look coming over her face.

"He is here for you. And now it begins. Do not forget what I have told you, miko." Swallowing, she nodded as she was being lead closer and closer to Naraku's chambers. Just before entering, Kagura leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "Please, set me and my sister free."

The shoji door opened, revealing Naraku and someone else beside him. Kagome gasped when she realized who it was.

"K-Kikyo?"

* * *

This was it, they were finally here, and the arena was set. Sesshomaru saw Naraku waiting patiently outside in his courtyard, cloaked in his usual baboon pelt. A hair-raising laugh escaped his lips and as the two inu-brothers landed, his smile grew wider. 

"Ah, Sesshomaru-sama. I did not realize that you would be here as well. . ." He greeted with a disgustingly pleasant voice. The demon lord only responded with a low growl, his hand rested readily on Tokijin.

"NARAKU!" Inuyasha ran several paces ahead drawing Tetsusaiga and pointing it threateningly at the hanyou. "GIVE ME BACK KAGOME!" Naraku laughed at his demand, as if it were positively ludicrous.

"You'll have to come and find her. . ." With that, Naraku released his poison fumes and with it, his multiple tentacles lashed out at them.

"YOU BASTARD!" Inuyasha screamed at him, slashing out at the tentacles. They fell one by one, blood raining the ground, but it seemed futile as they only regenerated themselves. Both of them gorwled.

"Filthy scum," Sesshomaru spat, "I have no times for your games!" He pulled out his youkai whip, and lashed all of his tentacles away, even going as far as hitting Naraku's body himself. The hanyou grimaced in pain, his eyes glittering madly at the demon lord.

"Such ferocity, and all of this for a lowlife human?" Sesshomaru's eyes bled crimson at this, and his fangs were bared threateningly. Taking Tokijin from his sash, he swung once at Naraku, sending millions of electric daggers pelting straight at the sneering hanyou.

"That 'lowlife human' is worth more than you ever will in a thousand lifetimes!" Sesshomare bit out. Inuyasha watched in a shocked state at the anger that flared in his brother's eyes, and he was even more surprised at how much damage he did to Naraku on that one statement alone.

Naraku let out a painful cry as the daggers tore at his flesh, and in an instant, another poison miasma fogged the arena. Sesshomaru growled deeply as he held his sleeve to his nose, glancing over to Inuyasha to see that he had done the same. Squinting his eyes, he searched the haze for the any sign of the hanyou.

A malicious cackle soon echoed in the atmosphere, and both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha averted their gaze to the sky to see Naraku flying into the forest. Cursing and growling, they both took off, following him as he went deeper and deeper.

"Where the hell is he taking us?" Inuyasha asked through clenched teeth. They watched as he finally descended to what seemed like a clearing that led to a cliff just outside his castle. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed and a deep frown graced his lips when he saw someone else was waiting for them.

"He's taken us to Kagome," He said emotionlessly. Inuyasha smirked when he heard this, it was going to be easier than he thought. Sesshomaru on the other hand, wasn't as thrilled to see her as he thought he would be. It was too easy. Something is wrong. . .and he knew Naraku must be up to something.

They landed, glaring dangerously at the hanyou.

"Is she what you're looking for?" He sneered, and gestured for Kagura to bring Kagome for the two brothers to see.

Kagome whimpered as her chains yanked her into view, and she gave a fearful look at them. Sesshomaru failed to suppress his growl when he saw her chained up like she was, and sniffing the air he could tell they were cast with some sort of spell—probably to contain her miko powers.

"I'm sorry," she muttered, and at her words, Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and whisper that she had nothing to be sorry for.

"Let her go, Naraku!" Inuyasha yelled out, his amber eyes glittering in anger. Naraku only raised an eyebrow at them, smirking as he realized that the demon lord was flexing his hand in equal rage.

"Oh it's not as simple as that," He snapped his finger and a tiger youkai appeared, also holding a chain with another prisoner. Inuyasha widened his eyes in shock and his whole body became numb as his the unmistakable form of the undead priestess came into view.

"I-Inuyasha. . ." She whispered, looking at him with a sense of helplessness and fear. Sesshomaru was shocked as well, but his mask stayed in place. He had anticipated this happening, Kagura had warned him about it. He glanced over to where she stood with Kagome, and her crimson eyes flashed for a second before nodding. The entire outcome was to be decided by his brother. He prayed that he would make the right choice, for Kagome's sake.

"Kikyo. . .what the hell is this, Naraku?!" Inuyasha's whole body began to shake with fury, causing Naraku to smile amusedly.

"I have to commend you on being such a worthy opponent. And because I am not entirely selfish. . ." He took both Kagome's and Kikyos' chains into his own hands, and dragged their resisting bodies over to the side of the cliff. Both of them watched in rage as Naraku held them over the cliff. "I will allow for one, and only one of them to live."

Sesshomaru wanted to rip out the hanyou's throat then and there. But he knew he couldn't—Kagome's life was at his mercy, and if he did, then the matter with Kikyo would never be settled. This was the moment of truth.

"Inuyasha! Don't fall for it! Kikyo's not---" Kagome was cut short as the chains around her glowed black and she winced in pain.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha ran towards her, but at the same time Kikyo cried out as well, as HER chains began crackling also with black electricity. He stood there, torn and the battle raged inside his heart. 'Which one?' Naraku laughed in pure satisfaction and malice at seeing the conflict inside him.

"It is time for you to choose, Inuyasha. So who will it be?"

"I-I. . ." Sesshomaru placed a hand on his shoulder, staring sternly at him, and his eyes furrowed together to show worry.

"Inuyasha. . .choose wisely," he advised, and hoped against hope that his brother would choose life over death. But despite those words, he still looked lost, his eyes darting from Kagome to Kikyo. Naraku was growing impatient, and decided to speed the process along.

"I'll let your instincts guide you. . ." He smirked, and in the blink of an eye, he had let go of both their chains, sending Kagome and Kikyo plummeting to the earth.

"NOOO! KIKYO!!!!!" Inuyasha cried out, and quicker than lightning, he raced towards her.

As Kagome felt the air rushing past her, her eyes blurred over with tears at hearing Inuyasha calling out for not her, but the dead priestess. Staring blankly up at the sky, she saw Inuyasha's form carrying an unconscious Kikyo back over the cliff.

'Inuyasha. . .I really mean nothing to you. . .don't I?' Her tears escaped her eyes, scattering to the wind as she accepted death, her whole soul felt empty now, and her heart felt like it was being twisted and torn apart. She knew it was the feeling of her heart breaking, and she thought it had broken before. . .but never like this.

Before her sapphire depths were completely shut, she caught a glimpse of a giant silver dog leaping over the cliff, and reaching for her.

**End Chapter**

* * *

Thank you for all of your kind reviews. **PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!** No flames please! 

**IMPORTANT!**

If you are impatient about waiting for my weekly updates on this fic, THERE IS A COMPLETE, UNCUT VERSION OF THIS FIC AND ALL OF MY OTHERFICSon other sites that I post! **You can find these links on my Bio-page, under the section listed as "Where Else Posted" **

_Another Important Note! _For now, it seems as if both **"The Killing Perfection,"** and **"A Single Spark"** is down, so the only site that you can see my fic is on You can still find the link to that site and read it from there. Thank you.


	21. Just Fly Away

**A/N:**

Okay, so many of you may have realized my um...(cough) absence...But this time, it really wasn't my fault. For those of you who don't know, my comp caught a virus, and I was rendered practically useless for over a month. Rest assured, I managed to get everything up and running again, and will try to bring everything up to date. Sorry for the long wait.

**IMPORTANT!**

"ForgetMeNot" is finished on most of the other sites that I post on. There are 34 chapters total, and if you're tired of waiting around for me to update here, go to the other links provided to read the complete story. Just click on my bio-page, and go to the section labeled "Where Else Posted." Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** Who? Me? (starts laughing hysterically)

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 21: Just Fly Away**

The moment Naraku had released the chains, the moment he saw her sapphire eyes widen in fear and hope, Sesshomaru felt like something was tearing inside him. A life devoid of Kagome. 'Save Kagome!' His mind screamed out to Inuyasha, but it was of no use. His brother had already chosen, and it was not Kagome, but Kikyo.

Eyes bled crimson, and faster than lightning, he had begun to run towards the seemingly forgotten girl. In a whirl of dust and wind, he began to glow as light engulfed his being, transforming into his inu-demon form. Without a second thought, he had jumped over the cliff after her.

He saw his brother fly past him in a blur of red and white, carrying the undead miko back over the cliff, and snarled. Sesshomaru turned his gaze back over to Kagome, who plummeted farther to the earth, her eyes locked onto Inuyasha, filled with pain and loss. He watched with torment as she closed her eyes and tears scattered to the winds as if telling him in her own silent way that she had given up. The Taiyoukai nearly winced when he felt the droplets pelt his fur.

Sesshomaru was suddenly engulfed with emotion. He felt it. Felt all her pain and agony, all of her broken dreams and hopes. He had wished never to have to see her have that look of loss in her eyes ever. And that feeling alone made him want to erase the demons that haunted her soul. All thoughts other worldly thoughts vanished from his mind, and all he could think about was, 'Kagome.'

As the distance between them closed, Sesshomaru caught her by the scruff of her sailor shirt, and bound on a nearby ledge to jump back up. He heard her give a gasp of surprise, and whisper his name in a hushed voice. Being so close to her now, he could smell the tears that spilled from her orbs. He fought back the urge to growl.

Leaping over the cliff, his crimson eyes caught sight of the scene below him. Naraku and his minions were nowhere in sight, leaving only Inuyasha and Kikyo in the clearing. That was when he saw. Sesshomaru saw his brother stare up at him. . .or rather staring at Kagome, in a pleading, torn manner. His amber eyes begged for forgiveness from her.

Sesshomaru tensed when he felt Kagome shake her head, and giving out a shaky breath, her voice sounding cracked with sorrow, she whispered into the night air.

"Sorry, Inuyasha. But I can't. . .I mean nothing to you. . ." Sesshomaru never wanted to spill his brother's blood so much as he wanted it now. 'I will make him pay for every drop of tears that he has caused to spill from Kagome's eyes,' he silently vowed.

Sending Inuyasha a cold glare from the corner of his eye, Sesshomaru flew off in the direction of Kaede's village, leaving him alone with the decision that he had made. And Kagome. . .she didn't even glance back once at the hanyou.

The stars twinkled above them dully, as if they melded in with the sad atmosphere, and seemed to have suddenly lost their luster. All the while, they traveled in silence. Sesshomaru was still holding Kagome by the scruff of her sailor shirt, but she didn't seem to mind.

That's what worried him. She didn't speak, didn't move; just stared blankly at the scenery before her. Her tears had ceased, but the scent of unshed sorrow still assaulted his nose. He feared that she had become numb. He himself didn't know what to say or do. Would he comfort her? Would she allow it? Or would she just push him away? He prayed that would not be so.

As they neared their destination, Sesshomaru began to descend. Landing in a field outside the village, he eased Kagome to her feet. She stood absolutely still as he bit into her chains, breaking the cold metal, and sending them pooling at her feet.

Kagome continued to stand there like a statue, until all of a sudden she snapped. Whirling around, she ran to hug Sesshomaru's dog-like face, sobbing into his silver fur. Sesshomaru stared at her with widened eyes, but his surprise soon died away, as he leaned into her embrace.

"Oh, Sesshomaru!" She cried. "He didn't want me! He never did! Inuyasha left me for dead. . ." Kagome held onto him as if her life depended on it, and at the moment, perhaps he was the only thing keeping her light from dying. Closing his eyes, he purred, trying to soothe her with the comforting sound. His tongue crept from his mouth to lick her warm hand, and Sesshomaru felt her nuzzle into his fur.

"It hurts. . .Sessho-kun. . ." Kagome whispered. The wind whirled around them, as Sesshomaru reverted back to his humanoid form. But all the while, Kagome still hung onto him like a frightened child, and when the transformation was complete, he held her tightly against his chest.

"Shhhhh," He hushed into her ebony hair, running his fingers through the silky texture. It hurt him too, seeing her like this. It hurt more than knowing she belonged to his brother, because at least then, she was happy. 'But she doesn't belong to Inuyasha,' his thoughts interrupted, and he would've cheered at that realization if Kagome were not in pure misery. And now he feared-for the first time feared-that he would never see her smile again.

"Inuyasha is a fool. He knows not what he has lost," He comforted. Sesshomaru's hand went to rub soothing circles on her back, and he tensed when her hot tears began to bleed through his hoari.

"No, Sessho-kun. I'm the fool. For ever thinking he could ever love someone like me! I'm nothing but a shadow of Kikyo. . ." Sesshomaru pulled her away from his embrace just enough so that he could look at her face. But her head hung low, tears continuing to stream down her flushed cheeks.

He frowned when she refused to meet his gaze, and lifted her face that sapphire locked with gold. Tracing a thumb gently over her chin, Sesshomaru's eyes softened as he watched the sparkling droplets fall one by one from her eyes.

"No, you are Kagome. More beautiful and strong than Kikyo could ever be, and Inuyasha. . ." His voice became harsh with brutal honesty, and she could tell just by listening that he believed it with all his heart, "does not deserve you."

Sniffling the remainder of her tears, Kagome gave him one last embrace before pulling away.

"Arigato, Sessho-kun. That means the world to me," she said with her best cheery smile, thought pain was still laced in her voice. Gently withdrawing from his warmth, Kagome turned to look at the village. He moved closer to her side.

"Will you wait for him?" He asked stoically. She sighed, cheeks still flushed as a few strands of midnight locks fell over her shoulder, dancing with the wind.

"I can't face him now. And I can't stay here tonight. . .I just can't." He nodded in understanding, brushing away her wayward strands.

"Will you return to your era?" Her sad, sapphire eyes gazed at him, and she gestured for him to walk with her to the hut.

"I really don't know. Anywhere but here," She said, voice almost empty. And for a moment, it almost sounded like she had resolved with her decision. "You must think I'm pathetic, bawling like that, but. . ."

"I think no less of you. It is Inuyasha who I feel an even deeper sense of revulsion for," Without another word, they both walked down the path leading to the village. Sesshomaru followed her soundlessly behind, watching as she moved almost mechanically towards the hut.

After a while, she finally spoke.

"You know what, Sessho-kun?" She started. He focused his attention to her. "Sometimes I wish I can just fly away. . ." Sesshomaru froze, golden eyes widening. A sudden sense of déjà vu came over him. Those words. . . "like a bird. Far, far away. . ."

Yes, he had heard this before, a dream. . .blue skies, sakura tree, Kagome's fingers stroking his silver tresses. . .

_"When I die, I want to be reincarnated into a bird, so I can just fly away," Sesshomaru continued to gaze at her, waiting patiently for her to go on. "That way, I can just escape from everything. The responsibility of the Shikon no Tama, of having to balance two lives," she paused, a look of sadness tainting her eyes, "and the pain of loving one who does not see."_

Sesshomaru's breath was caught in his throat as he finally recalled the memory. Yes, the dream that he had been plagued with so long ago. His eyes flickered over to the miko and she paused to stare back at him, standing right outside of the hut.

"Thanks for walking me back. I'm sorry for being such a bother." She was about to enter the hut when he stopped her.

"I thought you said you weren't going to stay here."

"I'm not," Kagome responded sadly, "I need to get my stuff, and tell the others I'll be gone for a while. Thanks again, Sesshomaru." Kagome said softly before entering the hut. All he could do was stare after her, his whole being seemingly numb as he waited for her. It wasn't because he was shocked at the coincidence of the dream, but what she had said AFTER in the dream that made his chest tighten.

_"I want to escape the sorrow, maybe fly to a place exactly like this. . .a place where I can find. . . you."_

* * *

"Kagome!" Sango steadied herself on her feet but Kagome eased her back down. 

"Momma!" Shippo pounced straight into her embrace, and she gave him a half-hearted hug. "I was so worried Naraku was gonna kill you!" He sobbed into her shirt. Kagome smiled sadly down at the little kit, ruffling his flaming red hair affectionately. This didn't go unnoticed by Miroku.

"Yes, I'm glad you are well, Kagome. But you don't seem to be too happy about it," He inquired. She didn't look up at them, but instead went to her yellow backpack propped up in the corner of the room.

"I noticed Inuyasha is not with you," He asked cautiously. Kagome stiffened at his name, and Shippo winced when smelled salt tainting his momma's scent. He looked questioningly up at her, but Kagome's bangs shadowed her eyes.

"Kagome?" He whimpered. Sango could sense her friend's distress, and she had a hunch of what happened, but not quite sure, she had to ask.

"Didn't he come for you?" Kagome's tears finally fell, and it took all of her effort to answer the taija.

"He came. But it wasn't for me," She said through cracked sobs. They stared at her.

"What do you mean, Kagome-chan?" Sango went closer to her, placing a comforting hand on Kagome, but she only shrugged it away. She glanced to what the miko was so occupied in doing and widened her eyes in surprise. Finishing up, Kagome hoisted her bag over her shoulder, and gave them all a tearful look.

"Where are ye going, child?" Kaede asked gently, although she was just as surprised as the others at her sudden desire for departure. She bit her lower lip, not sure how to respond to them, and decided to tell them what she told the demon lord.

"Anywhere but here," Shippo clung even tighter to her at this.

"No! I don't want you to leave Momma! Stay here!" He bawled. She pried the little kitsune's clutching fingers from her clothes, looking apologetically down at him.

"I'll come back. . ." She whispered.

"Where will you go? Home?" Miroku asked, and he raised an eyebrow when she did not answer him. Just as she was going to open her mouth to do just that, a shadowed figure stepped into the doorway. Everyone turned their heads in surprise, and Kagome gasped when she saw it to be the moonlight silhouette of the ivory demon lord.

"She is coming with me," He said impassively.

"Sesshomaru. . ." Kagome could only stare in shock and surprise, as he averted his golden gaze to lock with hers. She had thought he had already left! Instead he stood before her now, followed her into the hut and gave her a somewhat silent command to come with him. And yet at the same time, Kagome could see his golden depths almost pleading her to do so.

"Kagome, is this true?" She turned to Kaede, who was prodding her form questioningly with her one eye. She chewed her lower lip once more, unsure of what to do. Should she accept the demon lord's invitation?

"I. . .Sessho-kun?" She stepped closer to him, his gaze never left her eyes. Kagome never once blinked, and her heart almost melted when she realized he held nothing but honesty. Why he wanted her to come so badly with her she didn't understand. But she felt she couldn't resist. "Can I really?"

He said nothing to her, but instead took her yellow bag from her hands, slinging it over his shoulder.

"I will wait for you outside," Sesshomaru turned his heels and left the hut, his silver hair flowing behind him. Everyone stared after him, not knowing what to say. Kagome herself was frozen like a statue until she felt a little tug on her collar. She blinked, and stared dazedly down at Shippo.

"Momma, can I come with you?" He asked, hope laced in his innocent voice. Swallowing her surprise, she finally found her voice to answer.

"Ano. . .sure," He hugged her then, and muttered into her shirt,

"Better to be with Sesshomaru than Inuyasha. . ." Smiling half-heartedly, she turned to the others.

"I guess I'll be gone some time," She said softly. "Tell Inuyasha not to follow me, and I'll come back soon." Kagome turned to leave as well, but before leaving the room, she added, "I promise him that."

With the swish of the straw-woven door, she was gone, leaving them all speechless.

"Um. . .what just happened?" Sango finally broke the silence. Miroku ran his hand through his hair exasperatedly.

"I suppose since Inuyasha didn't come for Kagome, Sesshomaru did."

"Aye," Kaede sighed. "But then who DID Inuyasha come for?"

'Inuyasha,' Miroku thought worriedly, 'I hope for Kagome's sake and yours that you did not go and do something stupid, my friend.'

* * *

Kagome walked soundlessly outside, deep in thought at Sesshomaru's sudden strange behavior. Hearing a soft purr, she looked up to see the giant white dog that was Sesshomaru. He was crouched down on all fours, eyes staring patiently at her. 

"Wow! Is that Sesshomaru? He's GIGANTIC!" Shippo exclaimed. Kagome almost giggled when she saw Sesshomaru roll his eyes at the kitsune's observation. Holding her surrogate son closer, she approached him.

Sesshomaru lowered his head to her level, and sniffed Shippo a bit.

"He's coming with us. . ." She said. He nodded, and gestured for her to climb onto his back. Kagome took her yellow bag that was at his feet with her, and climbed rather clumsily on. He growled softly at her, as if telling her to hang on tight, before standing up and leaping to the sky.

Kagome hung onto his fur for dear life, her stomach doing a flip at the sudden change in heights. Shippo didn't seem so frightened though, as he let out a,

"Wheeeeeeeee!" in pure delight. After a while, Kagome couldn't help but relax, and started enjoying the moonlight ride. She glanced at the scene beneath her, gasping at the beauty of an emerald sea of forests stretched before her.

She absently stroked Sesshomaru's silver mane, and was brought back to her senses when she heard a purr come from him. She took her hand away instantly, only to be rewarded with a dissatisfied growl. Blinking, she returned to petting his fur, and the purring began anew.

Smiling, she started scratching-almost tickling him playfully. He bucked, and jumped higher in response, and Kagome stopped immediately to clutch even tighter to his fur.

"Don't do that!" Shippo whined. Kagome couldn't help but laugh, she knew Sesshomaru was only being playful. Now there's a thought. . .Sesshomaru, playful!

Kagome's laughter rung like a precious melody in Sesshomaru's ears, and he inwardly smiled. He was afraid he'd never get to hear it again. Something inside of him wanted to keep it going, so he did the only thing he could think of. He leaped even higher into the clouds.

She let out an excited squeal at this forgetting all about her pain for just one instant to bask in the wonderful feeling of having the wind whip through her hair. Looking up to the moon that hung above, she smiled. 'This is just like my dream. . .except it's real. . .'

"Higher!" She giggled, and he complied with her wishes. As they leaped from cloud to cloud, Kagome felt like her soul was souring. It was like she was flying! And Kagome never in her entire life felt so free, and she never in her life imagined Sesshomaru to give her this feeling.

**End Chapter**

* * *

**A/N:**

This was a short chapter, I apologize. But again!

**IMPORTANT!**

"ForgetMeNot" is finished on most of the other sites that I post on. There are 34 chapters total, and if you're tired of waiting around for me to update here, go to the other links provided to read the complete story. Just click on my bio-page, and go to the section labeled "Where Else Posted." Thank you.

Also! THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! They really did make me feel so much better about the whole computer crash thing. Please **READ AND REVIEW!** And I ask for no flames.


	22. It'll Be Worth It

**A/N: **Sorry for the late update?

**Disclaimer:** Will I ever own Inuyasha? shakes the 8 ball furiously, until an answer surfaces No. Hmmmm. shakes again Are you sure? answer surfaces Yes.

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 22: It'll Be Worth It**

Torn and pleading amber eyes watched as the giant silver dog of his brother carried away the girl that he had broken his promise to protect. And amber eyes flickered with guilt and sorrow as he locked onto her sapphire ones, and he knew. Just knew that she had given up on him. He could see the feeling of loss and the knowledge of abandonment so plainly reflected on her sad, beautiful face.

Not only that, but he heard as well. The whisper of her voice still ringing in his ears as her soul became numb.

"Sorry, Inuyasha. But I can't. . .I mean nothing to you. . ."

At those words Inuyasha closed his eyes and turned away from her. Not daring to watch as the silver silhouette of the silver dog and Kagome disappeared into the clouds. It hurt him too, and at the moment, he hoped with all of his heart that Kagome would forgive him. Though, he wouldn't blame her if she didn't.

He knew that his brother wouldn't forgive him for what he had done either. Inuyasha caught the look of deep disappointment and loathing that Sesshomaru sent him. Sure, he had seen it before, but this time. . .this time he knew he meant it. The hanyou clenched his fists in guilt and anger. This was the first time that he had let his brother's golden stare of ice and brutal honesty get to him. It was a mortifying feeling. And the worst part of it was, he inwardly admitted that perhaps, his brother was right.

A slight tug on his sleeve brought him out of his misery, and amber orbs lifted to meet the face of the woman that looked so much like Kagome. 'Funny, I think of Kikyo as looking like Kagome now, instead of the other way around. . .' strange, he knew. Or perhaps it was still the guilt that was talking. He placed clawed hands gently on her shoulder.

"Are you alright? Did Naraku hurt you?" He asked her worriedly, looking her over for any injuries. Kikyo stood there, her face unreadable and chocolate brown eyes bore into Inuyasha.

"You chose me. . ." She said emotionlessly. He looked at her through flaring eyes.

"Of course I did! I promised to protect you!" She smiled coldly at him, enough so that even Inuyasha almost shivered.

"You promised her as well," She reminded him. Her smirk faded away however, when she saw his ears flatten against his scull, and his face turned away from hers, eyes shadowed by his bangs. Her grip on his hoari tightened. 'He regrets breaking his vow.' "Inuyasha, look at me."

"I DID promise Kagome. But you'll always come first," He answered her in an almost regrettable voice. Turning to face her, he lifted a clawed hand to her face, and as if telling himself to make the best of his decision, crushed her body against his in a tight embrace.

Slowly, he felt her arms snake around his torso as well, holding him close. The wind blew violently all around them, and a light glowed from beneath them, and Inuyasha could feel the fiery pits of hell underneath his very toes. Almost as if stuck in a trance, he found himself unable to move. As the world dimmed around him, Kikyo's lips curved into a smile.

"Come with me Inuyasha. . .come with me into hell. We'll be together for all eternity."

'Kikyo will always come first, please forgive me, Kagome.' He inhaled in her scent of earth and bones, and though the floral scent of Kikyo was still there, the scent of death was dominant. His amber eyes snapped open in surprise when he smelled something else too.

It was vague at first, barely even noticeable, but it became stronger with each passing moment. Yes, it was unmistakable, the scent of blood and sulfur; the scent of Naraku, laced heavily in with her own. Inuyasha growled deeply, yanking Kikyo out of his embrace, and breaking the trance. The hole that was beginning to form into the pathway to hell disappeared, leaving them standing out with soulless orbs surrounding them angrily.

Before Kikyo could say anything, he violently yanked her kimono off of her shoulder.

"No. . ." There it was; the mating mark of Naraku, deeply engraved in Kikyo's pale skin upon the junction of her neck. It was as plain as day, and he stared angrily at it as it mocked him. His amber eyes flashed with confusion, rage, hurt, and betrayal to the undead miko's face. To his shock, all that met his eyes were a cold smile and glittering empty depths.

"Surprised, Inuyasha?" She leered.

"Kikyo. . .WHY!" He nearly shouted, using every last bit of his strength to keep his voice from cracking. She laughed, causing him to flinch, and stepping away from his grasp, she slipped the kimono back over her shoulder.

"It was necessary. I needed to remind you whom you belonged to," She said icily.

"By going to Naraku! You. . .you MATED with him!" He said with the uttermost contempt and disgust. "How could you?" Inuyasha breathed, his whole body shaking with rage. His fists clenched and unclenched and if he didn't release his anger soon, something was going to break. Still, he kept his unwavering eyes glued to Kikyo.

"It matters not to me how I obtain what I want, as long as I get it. And Naraku was going to help me get what I want. . .we made a bargain."

"So, you gave yourself to him!" He spat. "You're nothing but a whore!" He seethed with anger. His claws-for the first time ACHED to spill her blood. And yet the same time, he wanted to erase the very words that passed her lips so that he knew in his heart she still belonged to him.

"How. . .why couldn't I sense it before? Why now when it's too late!" He cried out. He lunged forward, and grabbed Kikyo roughly by the shoulders. "KIKYO! WHY!" A cold, unfeeling laugh escaped her lips, and he stiffened at the sound.

"You fool. Naraku masked his scent on myself. I-no, WE needed you to choose me." He blinked in confusion.

"What the hell do you mean? You know as well as I do that I would've gone with you no matter what!"

"LIES!" She screeched. "You would've chosen that filthy reincarnation of mine when the time came. I can see it in your eyes, Inuyasha! So, I decided that it was the time to get rid of her so you can fulfill your obligations to me without any thoughts of HER!"

Inuyasha growled under his breath, for the first time seeing the true hatred and bitterness so evidently shining in her brown eyes.

"What does Naraku get out of this?" 'Besides your body?' He mentally added. The smirk returned on her face, and she parted her lips to answer.

"The great Naraku. . .is afraid of the filly of a girl-he was afraid of Kagome." Kikyo started slowly, smiling wider when she saw Inuyasha tense at the name of the miko. "Actually, it was more of her spirit and fire that he feared. You see, as long as she held that light of hope in her soul, she would be the biggest threat to him. But. . .what if that light were to go out?" She continued, stepping closer to the hanyou as his eyes glittered with various emotions of guilt.

"Two birds with one stone. . ." Was all she whispered into his ear. And in that one moment, Inuyasha remembered the empty, and lost look that Kagome left him with, and it dawned on him that. . .Naraku had won.

"Kagome. . ." His eyes widened. Suddenly, he felt Kikyo's hands grab his hoari tightly, and as his eyes locked with hers, he saw deep anger, satisfaction, and vengeance flash across her irises all at once.

"FORGET ABOUT HER!" She screamed. "You're coming with ME to HELL!" With that the hellhole flashed once more, and she dragged him violently down with her. Inuyasha struggled against her grip. All the while he could only think of one thing: 'Kagome.'

He had to see her again, tell her he was sorry, hold her in his arms and make things right again. And. . .he didn't know what else to do if he could ever see Kagome again. But he knew he would NOT go with Kikyo.

"NO I'M NOT!" Calling every bit of his strength, he pulled away from her, leaving her sitting in the deep hole that her portal created. The light died down once more, and she sent him a heated glare.

"So, you shall break your promise to me as well." She breathed. Inuyasha's eyes flickered with resolve.

"No, I had promised Kikyo that I would protect her and stay by her side," He began, "But she died long ago. . ." Looking at her straight in the eye, his golden orbs hardened. "You're not the Kikyo I fell in love with. I'm never going with you to hell. I'm sorry."

Her hands balled into fists, digging into the soil beneath her. Her frame shook as she slowly stood up, malice shining within her eyes. He stood his ground, staring with torn emotion at her.

When Kikyo finally lifted her head to lock brown to amber, his eyes widened when he saw a lone tear slip from her orbs.

"I see. You would leave me as well, Inuyasha." She said softly, almost sorrowfully. Although the guilt continued to eat him alive, he had made his decision. He would not be wavered by her tears. "Very well then. If I cannot have you in the next world. . ."

Soul stealers whistled past him as he watched them wrap themselves around their mistress's form. Within moments, she was airborne, staring blankly down at him in hatred or in sorrow he wasn't sure.

"Goodbye for now, Inuyasha," Her voice echoed into the night, and as he stared off into the moonlight, Inuyasha let the tears fall from his eyes as well. Emotion overwhelmed him as he fell to his knees, using Tetsusaiga as support.

"Kagome. . ." He cried softly, her name tasting sweet on his lips. He had failed her, he was responsible for her lost hope. He alone was at fault. Not Kikyo. Not Naraku. The tears continued to come, but he didn't bother to wipe them away. Why bother? No one was there to see him. And now, he felt like he had lost everything dear to him as his soul tore inside.

It was too late to ask for forgiveness. And he cursed Kami and himself for not realizing it earlier. But now, he truly could see. It was Kagome that he loved all along. Kagome who loved him for who he was inside-not even Kikyo loved him like that. She had wanted him to change. But Kagome. . .

"What've I done?" He whispered. "KAGOME!" Inuyasha howled in sorrow into the starlit night. His soul would not find peace.

* * *

She felt a lurch of disappointment somewhere in the pit of her stomach when she saw Sesshomaru descend from the clouds. It was then that she was beginning to feel the chill of the night, and snuggled a little closer into his warmth. A soft purring could be heard, causing her to smile.

Shippo had fallen asleep beside her, and as Kagome ruffled his red hair, he muttered something about chocolate in his sleep. Kagome let out a content sigh, and even though she knew it was foolhardy, she secretly hoped it would go on.

Though the twinge of hurt still remained in her chest, she was glad at the moment that her feeling of freedom was still there to comfort her. Absently stroking Sesshomaru's fur, her mind wandered briefly to the half-demon that she left behind.

'Inuyasha. . .' she thought with a familiar ache. In the end. . .he had chosen Kikyo. Kagome knew she shouldn't be surprised, afterall, she had always known that she was second choice. But like the fool she was, she had even dared to hope-to believe that maybe, just maybe, Inuyasha would change his mind. That those memories and experiences they had together would be enough to make him see that the two of them could be so much more.

She sighed. Kagome knew she was partly to blame for her misery. She had let herself fall in love with Inuyasha in the first place. And she knew from the beginning that it wasn't meant to be. On top of that she knew it would hurt. . . 'I just never thought it would hurt this much.'

"Inevitable." That was the thought that came into her head. It was going to happen sooner or later. Once again her vision became blurry, and the tears burned her eyes. Closing her sapphire pools tightly, she let them fall one by one onto Sesshomaru's fur.

Sesshomaru stiffened when he felt her tears absorb into his silver mane. He purred comfortingly to her, in hopes that she would be soothed. 'She is thinking of HIM again.' He thought bitterly. Truly, his brother deserved to be dragged into hell with that bitch. It was a sin, to cause such a pure and beautiful creature as Kagome pain. It was a sin to make her spill even one drop of tear from her sapphire irises.

"Sessho-kun. . ." He was brought out of his bitter thoughts at the sound of her melodic voice. Letting out a soft growl, he let her know that he was listening. "Where are you taking me, anyway?" She asked, trying to sound cheerful. He only gave her a backward glance, before nodding his head to the scene before them. Sesshomaru felt her move slightly on his back in order to get a better view, and heard her gasp.

"It's beautiful. . ." she admired. They were approaching his castle, and Kagome felt a sense of awe come over her upon seeing it. Sure she had seen a Feudal Japanese castle before, but Sesshomaru's was breathtaking. "So this is where you live. Figures." She nearly scoffed her playfulness. He smiled inwardly, somewhat proud of his home.

He slowly descended into the castle gardens, and Kagome looked on with admiration as the petals of the flowers flew up all around them as he landed. The floral scent tickled at Shippo's nose, causing him to sneeze.

"Uh. . .are we there yet?" He muttered sleepily, and Kagome giggled softly at the little kitsune.

"I think so, are we, Sessho-kun?" Sesshomaru nodded, kneeling for them to get off. Kagome hugged Shippo to her body, and when her feet touched the ground, she saw a flash and a gust of wind whirl behind her. Turning around, she saw the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands standing where the giant silver dog used to be. Smiling warmly, she approached him, letting go of Shippo at the same time as he was struggling out of her grasp to explore the gardens.

"I don't know how to thank you," Kagome looked at him with grateful eyes, but he could still see that they were still tainted with sorrow. He frowned, lifting a clawed finger to caress her flushed cheeks and trace the tearstains still visible on her skin. His eyes grew soft with hidden affection, and he had to resist the urge to kiss her slightly parted pink lips.

"You can start by giving my a real smile, not those fake ones." He answered stoically, though it was gentler than usual. "You don't have to pretend with me, Kagome." Her smile faltered at this, and she lowered his gaze from his. Sesshomaru feared for a moment that he had said something wrong, and carefully removed his hand from her cheek. But before he could withdraw completely, Kagome grasped his hand in hers, gazing apologetically into his golden depths.

"Gomen, Sessho-kun. But I don't know if I will be able to do that. It might be a while until I can give you a real smile. . ." She said sadly. Looking away. "But right now. . .it hurts." Kagome's grip on his hand tightened as she felt the pang of sorrow in her heart again.

She found herself staring into his eyes once more when he placed a hooked finger and forced her to look at him. She almost gasped when she saw his face in the moonlight-beautiful. But it was not cold as she had always remembered, but almost kind, with his golden eyes flickering various emotions that she had never thought him to have. She nearly blushed, and did when she heard what he said next to her.

"This Sesshomaru can wait." He answered softly. 'Because it'll be worth it,' he thought to himself, and let a little smile of his own curve on his lips when he saw her cheeks blush a pretty pink. Oh how he loved it when he was the cause of that cherry shade on her skin.

"Hey, are you two done?" Both of them turned their heads over to the little kitsune. Kagome laughed when she saw him covered in flower wreathes, necklaces, and other floral clothing.

"Shippo-chan! Wow, that's some outfit!" He pouted at her, but smiled boyishly as he ran into her arms.

"Kagome, guess who I found?" He urged her to guess enthusiastically. She ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Surprise me." He smirked and pointed to the a nearby field of flowers. From it emerged an energetic and giggling Rin.

"Kagome-neesan!" She squealed. Running over to the demon lord and miko, she threw herself into a tight hug with Kagome, then went over to hug Sesshomaru's leg. "Sesshomaru-sama brought Kagome-neesan to visit!" She said happily.

He patted her head, looking over to where Kagome stood beaming-though still with a sad air in her smile, at the little child.

"Something like that, Rin." He answered. The little girl giggled happily, and no sooner had she let go of the demon lord, she had begun to drag Kagome inside.

"Come on, Kagome-neesan! Rin wants to show Kagome-neesan Rin's room!" She urged. Nodding slowly, Kagome followed the child, glancing back over to Sesshomaru.

"Coming, Sessho-kun?" She asked. After a moment's silence, Sesshomaru went in with them, hopeful that he would be able to heal Kagome's broken heart. 'And sooth my aching one.'

* * *

"Read this one, Kagome-neesan!" Rin insisted, holding out a red, leather bound book. Nodding, Kagome took it from the little girl's hand, and settled down on the cushions to start her storytelling. Shippo pounced into her lap happily, and snuggled into her warmth. She spotted Sesshomaru nearby, standing out into the balcony. Even though he was staring out at the moon, she could tell that he was listening intently to them.

It gave her the impression that she was like her guardian angel. 'He's always watching out for me,' She thought. 'He used to do that too,' She thought regrettably. Shaking out of her thoughts she scrunched her nose. She was here to forget about Inuyasha, and it wasn't right to compare Sesshomaru to him. 'Besides, the way Sessho-kun watches over me is. . .different.'

"Momma?" She blinked, looking down at the children who stared at her questioningly. "When is the story gonna start?" Shippo asked. Kagome shook her head, and gingerly opened the book.

"It'll start. . . 'Once upon a time. . .'" From the balcony, Sesshomaru watched from the corner of his eye as Kagome read to the children. Her voice flowed over the story like a song, and he closed his eyes, basking in the melodic ring in his ears.

He could feel Rin's contentment radiating off of her aura, and inwardly smiled. His eyes softened as he watched Kagome's hand gently stroke the children's hair, and it dawned on him that she looked like a mother soothing her child. And this lead to the mental picture that he had so often pictured in his mind of his family. The moment was intangible, and he could not help but smile.

'This is the way it should be,' He thought. And as the children lazily drifted into sleep, she looked up from the book to smile warmly at him. Sesshomaru could only stare back with golden orbs. 'Except she still continues to give me that heartbreakingly sad smile.'

**End Chapter**

* * *

**A/N: **

**IMPORTANT!**

If you are impatient about waiting for my weekly updates on this fic, **THERE IS A COMPLETE, UNCUT VERSION** on other sites that I post! You can find these links on my Bio-page, under the section listed as **"Where Else Posted"**

The links have been fixed on my bio-page, so it should work now.

Thank you for the kind reviews. I'd be more than happy to hear what you think so far.

No flames please.


	23. To Remember

**A/N**

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I updated my fics on this site. For all of those who are still reading this unfinished version of ForgetMeNot, please forgive me! But there is a finished version, so I beg you to read:

**IMPORTANT!**

The finished version of this story is posted on other sites. Please visit my bio-page for the links under the section "where else posted." Thank you.

**Disclaimer:** Sure! When I'm drunk enough. . .hoists bottle of vodka, holds out for cheers, and drinks deeply

* * *

**Forget-Me-Not**

**By: Youkai Yume**

**Chapter 23: To Remember**

The morning air was crisp, and slightly chilling in the golden and pink haze. The long night was finally over, and yet the silver haired-hanyou has yet to be seen. And the young heartbroken miko. . .disappeared over the moonlit horizon riding the ivory dog of a taiyoukai. In this time of torrent misery and uncertainty, Kaede wondered vaguely if things were truly alright.

Her old, and tired hands grasped firmly onto the bucket as water filled its' depths. A shaky sigh passed her lips when she lifted it, the droplets of liquid sliding from the wooden frame. 'Inuyasha. . .' the aged woman thought worriedly. 'What are ye up to?'

As if on cue, a looming shadow of a hanyou leapt over her. Kaede stood from her sitting position, and watched with patiently as Inuyasha made a graceful landing. A look of deep sadness and regret clouded over his amber orbs, causing her to furrow her eyebrows in concern.

"Inuyasha, where have ye been?" She inquired sternly, but not sharply. His gaze did not meet hers, and eyes remained downcast as he stood there in silent suffering. Almost heavily, his legs moved him closer to the old woman. Soon, he was in front of her, not saying a word.

He did nothing but stare sadly at her, and after several moments, he continued past Kaede, and towards the hut. The old woman looked solemnly at his retreating form. When he had gazed at her that moment, she saw such grief, such torn sadness and suffering flicker across his orbs. Her soul cried out towards the hanyou. 'What could've happened to have caused his heart to have shattered so?'

Walking in a dazed manner, Inuyasha kept his eyes on his feet. All thoughts were vacant from his mind---all except the thought of Kagome. How his heart wrenched when he thought of his miko from the future. Would she be there? Amber depths lifted to the hut just yards up ahead.

'Will she be waiting for me inside?' He wondered. A deep longing echoed inside of him, and basking in his fool's wish, hope welled inside of him that she was. That Kagome would be sitting there, waiting for him when he entered. That she would be smiling her warm smile---the smile that he had learned to cherish, to love so much.

She would be there, teasing him and laughing among the others; Sango, Miroku, Shippo. . .all would be as it were. And he would have a second chance at her forgiveness. Inuyasha did not know what was running through his mind, but all of a sudden, he believed it with all of his heart. He ached to hold her; just doing so would assure him that everything was alright. Just maybe. . .

He was running towards the hut now, so caught up in his mental vision of her accepting arms that he could not bear a moment longer to make the vision come true.

"KAGOME!" But when he burst through the straw-woven door, expecting to see her smiling face there. . .he was only met with surprised looks from all but her. She was not there. His hopes fell, and his heart felt it's shattered pieces once more. Disappointment filled him, and he turned his hurt gaze away from his friends.

"Inuyasha. . ." Miroku started, "You're finally back. . ." He said nothing, but entered anyway, sitting down soundlessly next to Kirara, who pounced in his lap. The houshi and taijia looked worriedly at one another before averting their attention back to their hanyou friend.

"What happened? You didn't come back with Kagome," Sango prodded gently. She noticed that Inuyasha flinched visibly upon hearing her name, but in a moment's time, stilled again. Miroku was becoming impatient with the silent treatment, and gripped the hanyou's shoulders tightly.

"Inuyasha! Please, we need to know! What transpired between you and Kagome. . ." A deep anger welled inside of him, and pushing the houshi back, he stood up and glared at them. He needed to be alone, and he couldn't possibly face them now. His fists clenched tightly and he felt like pulling his hair out.

"None o' your business!" He shouted at them, and he stormed furiously outside. Miroku was back on his feet in an instant and ran out after him.

"What did you do to cause Kagome such pain?" He said sternly, and this surely caught the hanyou's attention. Again, the feeling of pain and misery consumed him, and the words echoed over and over again in his head. 'I caused Kagome pain. . .' How many times does that make it now? And did he really deserve her forgiveness this time? Glancing back at Miroku, with Sango just by his side, waiting patiently for an answer, Inuyasha was at a loss of words.

'What can I say?' He thought miserably. What COULD he say? That he had left Kagome to die? For someone who wasn't even living? For Kikyo? His eyes burned with frustration. That he was the one that had betrayed her trust, left her for dead---literally! It was all too much for him, and the guilt and sorrow ate at his shattered soul. There was only one thing he could say.

"I screwed up. . ." He whispered.

"What?"

"I SCREWED UP, OKAY!" He shouted angrily at them, unable to keep his rage and frustration bottled up any longer. "Kagome. . ." He started. His friends approached him cautiously, hoping to comfort the half-demon.

"What do you mean?" Sango asked him worriedly, but once again, he had fallen silent. After a while, his shaking form relaxed, and he looked solemnly at them.

"Where is Kagome?" Silence. He was only answered with deafening silence, and he sent them a glaring look when all they did was look nervously at each other. "Where is she?" He repeated, this time a little harsher. Finally, Miroku spoke up.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha stiffened. "Kagome is with Sesshomaru."

"And you didn't stop her?" He asked him rather angrily, sending accusing looks over at them. Why would they let her go with his brother? But Miroku did not shrink from his heated gaze, and stepped forward.

"Yes, it was Kagome's decision." At hearing this, Inuyasha looked away, his bubbling anger rising, and he looked to the blue sky. A mental picture of the giant silvery dog form of his brother carrying his Kagome away, and the look of disappointment that flashed through Sesshomaru's eyes. His brother cared for her. . .he realized. If he hadn't, he would not have saved her when he himself had left her.

And now, he feared that it was Sesshomaru that she was turning to for comfort. Sesshomaru who would make her forget. . .would she really forget about him? She loved him didn't she? 'But there's a fine line between love and hate. . .' a voice in his head echoed. Inuyasha hoped that in Kagome's eyes, he had not crossed said line.

"Will you go after her?" He heard Miroku ask him. The question rang in his head. He honestly didn't know, but he knew there was no way he could face her now. What good would it do anyway? A part of him told him that Kagome was probably too far beyond his reach to even listen.

His fists unclenched and fell limply to his sides, and eyes softening, he gave out a shaky and tired sigh. Did he really do it this time? What Kikyo had told him. . .did he really break her spirit? Glancing back at them, he said nothing, only shaking his head mournfully as he leapt off into the direction of the forest.

Sango made a move to follow after him, but was stopped when Miroku placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She gave him a questioning look, and he only shook his head at her.

"He will tell us when he's ready. But right now, I think Inuyasha needs some time alone," He advised.

Atop the Goshinboku tree, Inuyasha gazed longingly up at the blue sky. Wondering idly to himself where Kagome was. Maybe she was looking up to the same sky, maybe she was thinking of him. . .Even more so, he wondered if Sesshomaru was there with her, picking up the broken pieces of her heart. His own heart ached. If he would ever get to see her again. . . 'I won't let her go. . .' he vowed to himself, and to Kagome.

* * *

A dreamy haze was lifted from her eyes when she reluctantly opened her sapphire irises to the morning that greeted her. Blinking, she lay infinitely still on the soft futon, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Her soul, her heart, felt so very heavy. So much so that she felt it would hurt to sit up. 'Inuyasha. . .' She thought with a melancholy ache.

She had dreamt of the hanyou last night, and the memory caused tears to well in her orbs once more. It was the very moment when she had plummeted to her death and Inuyasha had called out for Kikyo. The dream, no. . .nightmare, plagued her restless soul, and shutting her eyes shut, she allowed two sorrowful tears burn a trail along the sides of her cheeks. It fell onto the pillow, and absorbed the fabric.

Kagome heard a soft mumble from her side, and she looked down to see Shippo sleeping soundly next to her. She smiled sadly, down at him and ruffled his red hair, and regretfully, she got up from the warmth of her futon. Groaning a bit, she averted her gaze to the direction of the shining rays. Birds were chirping from outside the window in the cherry blossom trees, and moving cautiously out of bed so as to not wake the little kitsune, she went to examine them a bit closer.

Sliding the window open, Kagome was caressed with the soft morning breeze, drying her tears from her fair skin. Inhaling the crisp air, she gave out a relaxed sigh. At least being here. . .soothed her soul, if only a little. A part of her was glad that she had come here, and Kagome silently thanked Sesshomaru for that.

"Sesshomaru. . ." She whispered into the morning wind. He confused her so much. Kagome never suspected a demon who had tried to kill her upon first impression could be so sweet and caring underneath. Was he always like this? Or perhaps he had changed somehow, into the gentle taiyoukai she had grown so fond of.

'Fond?' Yes, she admitted she had grown rather close to him. Despite his cold attitude towards the whole world and to her at first, she knew him to be a better person than he would ever let on. A small smile curved her delicate lips. He was like a child in a way. . .who was afraid of something new. Afraid of emotions to be more precise.

It was endearing, she thought. Stepping away from the window, she walked across the room and towards the door. Already Sesshomaru had done so much for her, and Kagome couldn't think for the life of her how she'd ever thank him. Placing a small hand on the shoji door, she leaned so that her forehead touched its' surface. Sesshomaru made her feel. . .different. . .in a way. . .But in what way she wasn't exactly sure.

Deciding to put thoughts of the enigmatic demon lord away for a rainy day, she quietly slid the door opened and glanced from side to side in the hallway. It was empty. 'Well, it is pretty early. . .' And taking one last look over her shoulder at the little fox that still slept upon the futon, she left the room, and tiptoed down the halls in the direction of the library. 'There's nothing wrong with getting some light reading done in the morning. . .' Just to get her mind off of things.

Kagome had finally reached the library, and a childish gleam flickered across her orbs. She loved books, save for the math book, but how she loved them so! It was her way of escaping reality, and the troubles of her life. Perhaps that was why she liked the Feudal Era so much. It was like living her very own fantasy, and Kagome being the romantic that she was, found herself helplessly drawn into these kind of things. Although, after what had transpired the day before, she inwardly admitted that a small piece of her wanted out of this tragic fairy tale.

Shaking her head of her saddening thoughts, she resumed her search of a good book. Kagome would've read more yesterday, if the children hadn't forced her to read books that THEY wanted. She didn't mind though, and was just glad that she got time to herself before anyone else awoke. She prayed to the gods that Sesshomaru wasn't going to get mad at her for being in here so early.

Peering over the titles, Kagome skimmed over the books. Nothing that she found in particular was awe-inspiring, and when she saw the sun up in the sky outside the library window, she figured it should be time to get Shippo. However, when she was about to leave the room, a certain leather-bound book caught her eye.

"Hello, why aren't YOU on the shelves?" She wondered as she went over to where the book was situated on the table. Picking it up, she examined it to be quite old. . .not as elaborate as the others, but there was something that drew her to this one. Kagome curiously thought that perhaps the reason it was out of place was because Sesshomaru had been looking through it.

Letting her curiosity get the better of her, she opened the book, flipping through its' pages carefully. As page after page were flipped, Kagome almost missed the blue and shimmering objects that fell from the book and fluttered gracefully onto the ground.

Kagome's sapphire depths followed them as they fell, and shutting the book softly, she kneeled down to closer examine them. Her eyes widened and a surprised gasp escaped her lips when she recognized what they were.

* * *

Silver hair swayed from side to side as he took graceful steps towards the miko's room. Sesshomaru closed his golden eyes when came nearer to her room, inhaling her sweet scent as if it was a habit when it wafted into his nose. He hoped that Kagome was feeling better than yesterday, and that some of her pain had resided a bit.

The demon lord released a sigh when a bit of salt was caught in her scent. 'She has been crying again. . .' He thought with bittersweet sadness. How much longer, he wondered, until she can let go of her brother's memory? A deep voice from within him told him that perhaps Kagome would never let go, but he hoped against hope that she would move on. . . 'Into my arms,' he thought selfishly.

Sesshomaru wanted so badly to just confess to her how he really felt for the fiery maiden. His soul felt like bursting ever since his self-admission, but even now he refrained. She was still in pain over what his idiot half-brother's decision, and being the honorable taiyoukai that he was, he didn't want to make it seem like he was taking advantage of her time of weakness. Now, when her emotions could be so easily swayed, and he also feared that if he admitted his love to her, he would only succeed in driving her away.

Tortured emotions swirled within him and although his face remained impassive, he felt torn inside. 'Kagome,' His heart ached. 'Can you and I ever. . .' He wondered, and stopping in front of her room his clawed hand smoothed up and down the panel of the door. Slipping his emotionless mask on once more, he slid the door open and stepped into Kagome's room.

"Kagome?" Sesshomaru peered into the room, his golden orbs sweeping the room, only to find it empty. His eyes fell onto the vacant futon, save for the little kitsune pup who still lay slumbering in the warmth of the blankets. Sliding the shoji door shut, he furrowed his eyebrows together in worry. 'Where could she be?'

His nose caught her sakura blossom scent lingering in the hallway, and he let out a sigh of relief. At least she had not run away from him, as that thought had crossed his mind when he saw the window in her room to be open. Following her intoxicating scent, Sesshomaru's feet lead him to the elaborate shoji doors of the library. A barely noticeable smile tugged at his lips.

Kagome's love for literature truly amazed him. Perhaps this was the reason why she had such an imaginative and creative mind. Drawing in a deep breath, he opened the door, almost anxious to see the maiden that held his heart on the other side.

When the library room was finally revealed to him, he saw Kagome standing in the center of the room, deep in thought. Soundlessly, he approached her, smiling softly at her still form.

"I see you are already awake," He greeted smoothly, causing her to jump at the sound of his velvety voice. She turned to meet his gaze, her sapphire eyes sparkling with several emotions that he could not define. Shifting his stare downwards, he saw her to be holding a red-leather bound book, and in her other hand she was holding. . .

His stomach tightened, and his breath became caught in his throat. Golden orbs locked with her sapphire irises, and he said nothing as she approached him carefully.

"You kept it. . ." Kagome whispered gently, almost in complete awe as she held out the blue forget-me-not flower. Swallowing, the demon lord closed his eyes and moved closer to the miko. When he was directly in front of her, all he did was gaze longingly into her depths. She didn't blink once, and turning her gaze to her hand once more, she fingered the other item. The strip of film that she had also given to him as a souvenir from his trip to her time.

"Why?" She asked him gently, looking at him once more. The silence was eating away at her insides, and she tensed when Sesshomaru brought a clawed hand up to caress her cheek softly. Relaxing a bit, she continued to gaze confusedly into his golden pools. She felt his hand slide from her cheek down to shoulder and brush past her arm. A shiver ran down her spine at his touch, but she did not flinch as his fingers slipped to her hand.

"To remember," He said stoically, causing her sapphire eyes to widen. Sesshomaru gently took the flower and picture from her hold and examined them for a minute, then he placed it into the book. Moving both his hands to hers on the cover, he carefully shut it, not removing his palm from her small hands. Kagome gazed at him with confusion, only to see that he gazed back at her with. . .tenderness?

"Come, Kagome," He said, his emotionless voice calling out to her. "You must be hungry." And with that, he took the book from her and placed it back onto the table. Still holding her hand, Sesshomaru guided her out of the library. As they walked down the hall in silence, Kagome couldn't help but steal momentary glances over at the demon lord.

She had a feeling he was hiding something, but she also had a feeling that he was not ready to let her know just yet. It was his way of telling her to drop the subject. Sighing, Kagome tried her best to smile warmly up at him, and laced her fingers with his own.

Sesshomaru glanced down at her in mild surprise, and felt himself grow warm when she smiled at him. Though he sensed it to still be sad, there was more sincerity in this one.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" She joked. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then decided to answer her.

"Training." Kagome's joking air vanished, and she stared dumbly at him.

"Uh. . ."

Sesshomaru looked amusedly down at her as she became at a loss of words.

"I believe it would be best if I gave you a few lessons in self defense. I suspect you will not be wanting to depend on. . .my brother as much," He said carefully, looking quickly at her eyes to see if he had caused any old wounds to reopen.

However, her eyes were downcast, and he stiffened for a moment. Finally, she lifted her eyes, and gave him a cheerful smile.

"You're right! Thanks, that's a great idea!" Sesshomaru relaxed, and his grip on her hand tightened. Averting his gaze forward he added gently,

"Just know that I will still be here to protect you," Kagome looked at him in shock, only to see that he had avoided her gaze by keeping his eyes glued straight ahead. Warmth filled her being, and she blushed at his words, confused at the new feeling that he seemingly invoked upon her more often. It made no sense, it was different than the warmth that filled her when with Inuyasha. Either way, Kagome was unable to stop it.

"A-Arigato, Sessho-kun," She muttered. "I'm. . .I'm glad."

* * *

Naraku waited patiently as the silver light of soul stealers streaked overhead. A sickening smile curved his lips, and crimson eyes followed the form of the undead miko as she landed into his courtyard. He had been waiting for her, he knew she would return.

"Kikyo. . ." Naraku cooed, earning a glare from the maiden as he did so. "Back so soon? I thought you were going to take Inuyasha into hell. . ." He watched as Kikyo closed her eyes to hide the anger that burned underneath, and the betrayal that seethed from her being.

"There has been a change in plans," She answered, stepping closer to him. "It seems I will remain here with you afteall, Naraku," He smiled at her, and took her into his arms, pressing his lips against hers in a supposedly comforting manner. And she returned it. Naraku smirked against her lips.

Yes, everything had gone exactly how he had planned. Inuyasha had fallen for his trap just as he had intended, and he was almost certain that the miko's spirit was indeed broken, and far beyond healing now. As for Kikyo. . .he had known from the beginning that the hanyou would not follow Kikyo into hell. Despite how much they might try to the fool themselves, both Kikyo and Inuyasha knew that he loved Kagome. That alone would keep him bound to life.

Naraku parted from Kikyo and lead her inside his bedchambers. Did she really believe that he would let her go with Inuyasha so easily? Right after he had claimed her as his mate? She was his, and no one else's and with Inuyasha's "betrayal," Kikyo now belonged to him. ALL of Kikyo.

The hanyou draped an arm around her waist. How fortune had smiled upon him as of late. And as he continued to bask in his gloating, Kikyo glared at him from the corner of her eye, a malevolent smile tainting her lips.

'Naraku, you fool. . .'

* * *

**END CHAPTER**

**A/N**

Again, please go to my bio-page for more information on reading the finished version of this story.

Thanks for everyone's reviews! I had almost forgotten how much they made me happy. Please read and review again! No flames please.


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